Hurricane and thunder
by Aerl
Summary: Laxus never expected to meet his match... Or to ever feel this way! But who is this girl that acts all confident and unsure the next second? And why does the First Master seem to know her? (I do NOT own Fairy Tail)
1. Meeting

I was staring at the huge building in front of me, unsure of what to do next.

I knew I was there for a reason, but I couldn't make my body move past those doors. I looked at the letters over the door. "Fairy Tail"… I was more and more convinced with every second that this was a bad idea. In fact, it was a terrible idea. I sighed and prepared to turn around and never go back, but a sudden gust of wind caressed my back. A smile found its way to my lips, and my feet started to move.

 **Laxus P.O.V.**

I was sitting at my usual table, listening to the conversations that leaked through my headphones. Man, they _could_ be boring. I raised my head and started looking for Mira. Today was supposed to be a normal, boring day, but there was something… Something was off, and it was annoying me to no end. I growled, trying to get the disturbing feeling off me.

"So, you feel it to"

Titania was standing in front of me, looking as pissed off as I would surely look.

"May I take a sit?" she said, her face serious. _Did hell freeze?_

"Doesn't matter what I answer, you'll sit anyways"

"True" she sat in front of me, and leant closer, as if she didn't want to be heard. "There is something… I have this… odd feeling that started a couple of hours ago, and I can't get rid of it. I can't explain it, but it's…"

"Annoying?" I suggested, raising a brow. _I wasn't going mad after all_.

"Kind of" she agreed.

The doors opened, and I prayed for whoever opened it not to be Natsu. That boy was his meaning of annoying, and things were far better without that "Flame Brain" bothering everyone. He had left yesterday for a mission with Blondie and was supposed to be back today.

But then, the air changed. Some sort of… Odd pressure filled the guild, and I looked around me, trying to figure out the source. _Are we under attack?_

And there is where I first saw _her_. A girl, light brown hair, wearing a white, simple dress that highlighted her stunning body, high-heeled white sandals covering her feet, was standing in front of the now closed door. She was looking everywhere, seeming lost, and quite frightened if biting her lips was any hint. Before thinking about it twice, I got up from the table and started to get closer.

"Do you need any help?" _Shit, I am surely going to scare the hell out of her. Why didn't I let Mira or some other cute, nice girl help her? She looked scared enough without me._ I certainly was aware of the effect I caused on others. Fear. I was never that concerned about it ( _C'mon, even without the Fantasia events, just being an S-class imposes respect, and this attitude of mine surely doesn't help me getting a fan club_ ), but I was aware at the very least of that fear ( _Dragon Slayer hearing can come in handy when you walk through the guild and hear every heartbeat speed up_ ), so that was why I got shocked when the woman in front of me stopped biting her lips, her body relaxed a bit and smiled at me with the most warming smile I've ever seen ( _Sorry, Blondie, you don't even direct a smile to Natsu with half that warmth_ )

"Well… I think I was looking for the Master of this Guild… Umm…" She was all unsure about what to do, looking to the floor as if it could give her answers, but she just shrugged her shoulders and looked at me in the eyes, and stated "I want to become a member of Fairy Tail"

 _Is she a mage? But I don't sense any magic power… Wait. I_ do _sense magic… It's just this odd feeling I've been having for hours. Was it coming from this delicate girl?_

"Is that so?" I asked, rasing a brow.

"Yes" Finally she was confident about something.

"Well, I'm the Master's grandson, and I would certainly like to see if you are a magician _before_ you get your guild mark…"

"What do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head with curiosity in a lovely way.

"Well, if you _are_ a mage you would surely have some magical power in you…" she nodded "And you surely wouldn't mind if you had to test that magical power… with me, for example."

Her eyes glowed and any trace of her previous insecurity left her body. Chills ran all over my body. _Am I scared? Of this girl?_ I realized, astonished.

The air changed again, and I started feeling some magical pressure, minimal at the beginning, but growing with every millisecond, until I could barely move, and breathing was a difficult task. Looking around I found everyone looking scared at us, not a single move in the whole room. I spied Titania from the corner of my eye, and her astounded expression and still body gave me something to worry about. Movement caught my eye back to the girl, who now wore a disappointed expression.

"I'm sorry, but I won't be battling you" As soon as those words left her mouth, all the magical pressure disappeared, with a speed that made me wonder if it was all a product of my imagination.

"Are, are, what do we have here?" A voice echoed through the silent room.

"Master!"

"You were having fun without telling me, grandson?" Gramps directed his severe look at me. "And who may be the beauty you were bothering?"

"Are you the Master of Fairy Tail?" she said, with a sweet, back to unsure, voice.

"Yes, my dear. Were you looking for me?"

"I want to… be a member. Of Fairy Tail" Confidence again in her voice as she stated the reason of coming here.

"And what must be the reason behind it?"

"Um… may I talk to you in private?" Insecurity again… _Is she trying to drive me insane?!_

Gramps' eyes gleamed "But of course, daughter, come with me to my office!" _Pervert grandpa_ , I thought, as I stared at the mysterious beauty heading towards Gramps.

 **OC's P.O.V.**

I gave the little man in front of me a few seconds to think about what I said.

"My, my, aren't you an interesting child?" _Child_. I wrinkled my nose at that word. I lacked so many things of those a _child_ had… "Ok, you are in" I stared at him in disbelief. "I mean you are now…" He said, as he raised his arm to get a box. "a member of Fairy Tail" He took a magic item from the box and touched my arm with it. A black Fairy Tail insignia stood where the wooden item touched me.

 _A member… of a guild… Are you happy now?_

I left the office to look at the other guild members, and smiled. What kind of life, what adventures would I live now? Possibilities were overwhelming.

"Oi" A husky voice at my right called my attention. It was the blond behemoth from before. "You are smiling" he seemed surprised. I raised my arm to show him my new insignia.

"Hey, guild mate" I answered, my smile never leaving my face.

"So Gramps accepted you" He seemed surprised.

"Yeah"

"Was… um… that pressure…" He was unsure about whether to ask or leave it be.

"Yeah… I thought you were stronger. Sorry." His teeth grinded at my answer

"Oi, I _am_ strong. I was just surprised. I never expected you to be strong"

"Really? Then why would you want to test me if you thought I was weak?"

"I just… I'll show you I'm stronger than you" He grunted, and turned around. He headed to a Request board. I followed immediately after, with curiosity.

"Hey, why have those requests got a huge "S"?"

"Ain't you a curious one? Well, you said I was _weak_ , so I'm going to show you how wrong you are. I can't let my pride get hurt like that, even if it's by such a beauty" He laid his eyes on my body and licked his lips.

"P-please, stop ogling!" _Pervert_

He chuckled. His voice sounded like a thunder in a devastating storm.

"Oi, Mira! I'm taking this newbie with me to show what being an S-class means" He shouted, raising some amused looks.

A squeal resounded through the whole guild.

"Oooh! I can _see_ it! Brown haired, blue eyed babies! But, what's her name?"

He looked at me puzzled, realizing he had no idea what my name was.

"Aria. My name is Aria"


	2. Getting to know each other

**Chapter 2: Getting to know each other**

"So, what is the job about?"

"You know what a Wyvern is?"

"Yes, those dragon-like beasts. Why do you ask?"

"Hmm, I thought you wouldn't know. So, there's one at Mt. Hakobe that seems to be causing trouble. Merchants are disappearing, and mages who were supposed to get rid of him never came back. So, Master decided it was an S mission, as too many people have already gone missing."

"How many people?" Aria tilted her head, and Laxus started wondering how such an innocent girl could produce such a magical pressure. Maybe it had just been his imagination.

"Over fifty, last time I checked. I meant to take the mission today anyways, but I'm glad I waited. Now you'll get to see the great Laxus in action!" He said, his trademark cocky smirk in his face.

"Then what are we waiting for?" She said, excited.

* * *

 **Laxus P.O.V.**

We were walking down the street. I had already packed, and the girl seemed to have no package, so we could get out early. _What girl has no package anyways? Has she got no belongings?_ I actually knew nothing about the girl. Damn, I didn't even know her name before asking her to come with me on a mission! How could I protect her if things with the Wyvern got ugly?

"Oi, what kind of magic do you have?"

"What, want to know about me?" She replied, with a witty smile.

"No, I want to know what to do with you when I'm beating the crap out of that Wyvern"

"You don't need to worry about me, I can handle myself."

"With which kind of magic?"

"You won't drop the question, would you? I am a user of air magic"

"Cool, can you dissipate yourself?"

"Aam… I don't… "dissipate"… I turn into air…" _That's useful._

"Then you'll be ok"

"Didn't I say that earlier?" She puffed.

* * *

We arrived to the train station.

 _Ok, so I've got the name, and the magical type. Not a stranger anymore, right?_

"Why did you join Fairy Tail?"

"Apart from the beautiful insignia?" She smiled "Would you believe it if I told you?"

"Sure, why not believe someone I just met?" Words slip through my mouth before I got to think about them, and I immediately regretted it. "I mean…"

"I know, but you seem like a good person. I trust you" _Eh? Trust… me?_

"You surely know nothing about me then"

"But I know your name is Laxus, and you are a lighting mage, and you are worried about keeping this I'm-too-good-for-anyone's-sake attitude, but you then care about everyone in the guild. Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked about my powers to know how to keep me safe from the white beast."

"How did you know?"

"Well, you looked like you really cared back at the…"

"No, not that. How did you know I was a lighting mage, and why do you say the Wyvern is white?"

"Oh" She kept silent for a while. _Just who the hell are you, Aria?_ "Well, you see, being an air mage and all, I pay a lot of attention at air pressures, and anywhere near you feels like a storm in the middle of a valley. Then I just had to look at your appearance to know you were related to lightning. I mean, the scar, and the t-shirt with the lightning pattern? No need to be a genius. So, as I was telling you, I would certainly be grateful if you didn't laugh, because the reason I joined Fairy Tail is not something everyone would understand…"

 _She purposely avoided the other question. Just who the hell are you, again?_

"The Wyvern" I reminded, with a low growl. I was starting to grow suspicious of the innocent, unsecure girl next to me. Why did I act so reckless as to ask someone I don't know to come with me? And on an S rated quest of all? I would have to watch my back to get back unharmed this time.

"Intuition? I'm going to buy the tickets, just wait a minute." And as she came, she left.

* * *

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

As we approached the train something surrounding Laxus' air changed. I looked at him questioning, but he didn't seem to notice. He was too concerned about the huge machine.

"Is everything ok?" If my eyes wouldn't reach him, my voice would… right?

"Yeah, yeah, just… wondering how long would it take"

"It's close, maybe an hour?"

He nodded, ending the conversation. _Just what is your problem? I'm worrying about you, you know?_

He looked at me astonished. I did not just say that out loud, did I?

"I assure there is nothing wrong, I just don't enjoy traveling by… those" Yes, I had said it out loud. _Air, make me disappear. I feel so ashamed…_ "You wouldn't happen to know any healing spells, would you? I know a girl, who also knows her things about air magic, and is a valuable healer"

"Are you hurt?" I narrowed my eyes, looking for any injuries, but he shook his hands as to saying " _don't worry, you got it all wrong_ "

"I just wanted to know the extent of your abilities so I can form the best strategy. I was wondering if you could heal, that's all. No worries."

"Who said nothing about worries?"

"Yourself" He raised a brow as if he waited for me to reply, but I just turned my head so he couldn't see my cheeks reddening. I heard that captivating, deep chuckle again, but I didn't dare to look at him just yet.

We had just been in the train five minutes, but my head hadn't stopped thinking about the blond giant seating next to me. His atmosphere was just so weird, a mix of worry and discomfort from which I could not determinate the cause. At least, not until the train started moving. _Motion sickness_. I tried my best not to laugh at the thought of that almighty thunder God being defeated by such a daily thing, and started thinking how to approach him. I knew I had a way to ease his nausea, but didn't want him to feel weak. Nop, I was in a train on my first day as a member with, as it seems, one of the strongest mages of the strongest guild in the whole Fiore, and all because I… How did he put it? Hurt his pride. I had learnt my lesson.

"Laxus" I whispered, though there was no one near enough to hear us anyway.

He cracked open an eye. _So you do have a hearing… even with those headphones on_ , I thought, looking at the vibrations in the air near his ears.

"I-I've realized I didn't answer your question… I _do_ have these notions of healing air magic… Not that I specialized on it or something, I just learnt some because it looked helpful… with battles and all, you know. I know you said you weren't hurt, but, if you like, you could try them, you know, so you could _know the extent of my abilities_ …" I gave him a moment, hoping he would understand. And, just as I was expecting, a hint of understanding crossed his eyes.

"Yeah, well, that could give me an idea to know which strategies would suit you better" He smiled warmly, nodding in appreciation.

I got up my seat and sat astride his legs, his eyes growing wide with surprise, and darker with something I didn't want to think much of. Then, I rose my hands to his head and concentrated a pinch of my magic that flowed to his head, healing him immediately from his motion sickness.

After a few moments, he called my attention "I- ehem- have already tested your healing abilities and I think they are quite effective to take into consideration"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. If I stop now, you'll go back to feeling sick. I don't cast a spell on you, I heal you _now_ , and can't avoid you feeling worse anytime in the future." I had already grown tired of that little game of ours, and surely calling things by their names, once both of us knew what the other wanted to hide, was way easier than beating around the bush.

"So, you are going to be in this position for the rest of the journey?"

"Why does your voice sound amused by that statement?"

"You would understand me, milady, but having such a beautiful woman in such an improper position may lead to some… misunderstandings"

"You surely are not making fun of the way I talk" I said, raising a brow in expectation of his answer.

My eyes must have betrayed me showing my amusement, because he gave me a proud smile before answering "And what would you _do_ if that were exactly what I were doing?"

"Ooh, _if_ that were what you were rudely trying to do with the hand that feeds you, then I would surely _exercise_ my magic to make you feel _funnier_ " I answered, emphasizing my polite words as well as my intentions.

"Well, you surely would not need your magic if you _intend_ to make me feel funnier. On the other hand, I believe your body would certainly cover that purpose thoroughly" He slide his hands around my hips and started pulling me closer, slowly, as if he was giving me a chance to escape- which he surely wasn't, judging the firm grip in his hands.

 _Next stop, Mt. Hakobe. Please, if your destination is Mt. Hakobe, collect your luggage and get ready to disembark._

"Already?" He asked, in disbelief.

I giggled at his expression. I guess motion sickness must have made it harder for him to travel than he revealed.

I got rid of his grip and shifted backwards. As soon as my magic stopped flowing from my hands, a low growl escaped his throat, and the atmosphere surrounding him went back to a discomfort state. I fought hard not to let the smile that wanted to get to my lips show, and headed to the exit door.

 **A/N: Okay, guys, this is the second chapter! I hope you liked it! I tried to have more of Aria's P.O.V., as she didn't seem to be happy with such little attention from the first chapter, and tried to make it a little longer. Still, writing in english surely is a challenge!**

 **I'd also like to thank Lilitraum for her support and her kind words, which encouraged me to write this chapter as soon as possible! It's good to know someone appreciates your writing :D**

 **So, please, again, leave reviews! They mean so much to me, and I can get to know what you think! :D**


	3. The Lightning Dragon, the Wyvern

**A/N: So, this is a long chapter. I enjoyed every minute of writing it, so I hope you like reading as well.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Lightning Dragon, the Wyverns and the Hurricane.**

 **Makarov's P.O.V.**

A girl suddenly appeared in front of me. From above her ears two wing-like clips hanged, holding a hair that reached her ankles in beautiful blonde-white waves, the same length as her light pink dress, and her green eyes looked at me severely from her delicate, childish face.

"My, my, I was wondering when would you make an appereance."

"Well, now you know. What about my question?"

"What would that be?" I said, raising a brow

"Third, stop playing games with me!"

"You must be talking about Aria then"

"Aria...? I said stop those games. I came here to ask you why did you let _her_ in!"

"She said her name is Aria"

"Aria…?"

"Aria." I repeated. "And she also said she couldn't remember a thing before last year. Most interesting thing was, she said she came here because _the wind_ told her to come".

"The… I don't believe it."

"That's why I intend to keep a close eye on her. Nonetheless, I do believe her story. You wouldn't believe your eyes if you saw her as I did, so uncertain, so… lost"

A soft knock interrupted our conversation, and the First disappeared as she came.

"Mira! Please, come on in"

"Oh, master, such beautiful babies!" She chuckled.

"And who would be the target of today's match-making?" Down deep, I felt pity for the poor soul, but asking was so irresistible…

"But who else, Master, than your grandson! He was so charmed today around her… You should have seen! It was love at first sight!" _At first sight… Could it be…_ "And when they left alone for that S-class mission… Oh, Master, Why weren't you there? His eyes were screaming "I shall protect you with my life!" and her…"

"Mira" I interrupted, my voice not showing a hint of the amusement from before. "Who did my grandson leave alone to an S-quest with?"

"With this new girl, Aria, of course! Oh, such beautiful brown haired, blue eyed babies… or what if they are blond, with…"

"MIIRAAAA!" My voice, filled with anger, echoed through the guild as my body grew larger, ready to smash the closest thing within reach. My beloved desk didn't stand a chance.

* * *

 **Erza's P.O.V.**

"Natsu!" I called, as I saw my pink-haired friend entering the guild.

"Hey, Erza! You wouldn't believe what happened"

"This _Flame Brain_ " Interrupted Lucy, using the nickname our ice mage friend usually used "has burnt half the mansion our client lived in. And guess what? He left us with NO reward"

"Hehe… But Lucy, you shouldn't be angry, I got that mouse alright! We actually completed the request!"

She rolled her eyes, and let a growl of frustration escape her throat. "Oi, Erza, why are you sitting in Laxus' table?"

"Oh, yes _!" I can't believe I forgot to tell them_ "I wanted to talk to him about this new girl entering the guild, who had such a scary aura around her… and then she let go of her restraints, and this magical pressure appeared, with such intensity… And he left with her!"

Do you think she might have used some sort of attraction spell on him?" Lucy suspected

"Well, it is not normal for Laxus to interact with others, or him taking others than the Thunder God Tribe with him to missions… To an S-quest!" Lucy stared at the fire Dragon Slayer with as much disbelief as I was feeling. Since when had oblivious Natsu become so thoughtful? "He could have taken me…" Mystery solved.

"MIIRAAAA!" Master's voice echoed through the guild. I ran to the sound, worried that my old friend-enemy was in trouble.

"Master! What is going on?" I stepped in the office, trying not to abuse the trust Master had placed in me by entering his office as if it was mine. I must never allow such misbehaviour.

"I can not believe Mirajane allowed my grandson to go on a S-quest with some girl we know nothing about" he said, grumpy.

"Master, I can not believe you have such attitude towards your grandson, who has proved himself more than capable of looking after himself!" she scolded.

"Mira, I don't think Laxus is the one the Master is worried about. I shall go with them and defend her honor!" I said, requiping into my Heaven's Wheel Armor. "Mirajane, tell me which mission did they take!"

"NEVER! I shall protect those babies! Don't you worry, kids, auntie Mira will look after you!"

* * *

 **At Mt. Hakobe…**

"I-it's a bit cold, isn't it?" Aria rubbed her arms, trying to keep some of her body heat.

"Humpf, it's because you insisted on not wearing anything with you" Laxus said, staring at her white summer dress. He sighed and started removing his coat.

"Look! A merchant!" She started running towards a figure carrying a wagon.

"Wait!" He secured his fur coat and started running behind her, cursing her burst of energy.

"Hello Sir!"

"Hey young woman, what is a beauty like yourself doing alone in a place like this?" He said, ogling her body, that was getting more visible as her thin dress began to get wet.

"She's not alone. She's with me" Laxus said, arriving seconds after the brunette. He noticed the way the man was looking at his partner and drew her closer to him.

"I wondered if you had something warm to sell. Maybe a coat, or some boots?"

"I'm afraid I have no shoes, but I do have this coat… Just give me a sec" He started searching for something through his wagon.

"Hey, you have a scythe! Can I keep it? Please?"

"Well, it would cost a bit… See, this was supposed to be my protection…"

"Sir" Aria said, her face suddenly leaving all excitement and replacing it with seriousness "A scythe would do you no help here. The creatures that live in these places fear no human weapon." The merchant's face became pale after hearing the sudden warning from such a seemingly inoffensive girl. "Say, Laxus, can he come with us?" Since Laxus laughed at her way of speaking, she was trying hard to sound more casual "We would have more chances of finding something if six eyes look for them instead of four right? And he can give me his scythe in return" She said, bringing the tool closer to her body, implying she wouldn't let go of it.

"And what about the cold?" He was way more concerned of the girl having no clothes to shelter her body from the rough temperature.

"I'll manage/ I have this" Said both the woman and the merchant at the same time. He was holding a brown, laced coat that looked, in Laxus' opinion, more of a summer garment than a winter coat. _Wait… garment? Really? I'm spending too much time with a girl I won't get anything from. Just what the hell was I thinking about?_ Laxus thought.

"Okay, I'll just pay for both items." _Better than nothing…_ He looked at his companion. She didn't look like she was carrying anything, so expecting her to have money would be just… Plus, her offer to get the scythe in exchange for guarding the man was another indication of how out of money she was.

"I can pay for them on my own, you know?" She said, as if she had read his thoughts. She pulled a pouch out of nowhere and picked the amount the merchant was asking for. It was not until they were too far for him to hear their conversation that she continued. "I just thought it would be safer for him to accompany us than going alone. Plus, more moving bait to draw him out of his hiding."

"Yeah, well, I felt like babysitting just one girl would be enough for me. No need to add another unknown guy."

"Don't call me that" She said, in a cold tone.

"What, are you pissed off? That's what you are to me in my head, you know?"

"I just don't like being called _girl_ or _child_. Just because I'm your age doesn't mean I'm useless, you know?"

"I didn't imply uselessness, I just wanted to highlight your innocence."

"Innocence?" She laughed as if he was being ironic. "Just where in me do you see innocence?"  
"C'mon, everything of you screams innocence. From your pure white dress…" Laxus was interrupted by a sudden push that made him fall to the ground. "What…" Aria sat in his chest, resting her back in his legs. He immediately lowered them, so she couldn't get closer to a part of him that was starting to heat up with the sudden contact with the gorgeous air magician. She started to trace circles down his chest as her inner thighs slided downwards slowly. Just when he thought she would notice the evidence of the effect the pleasure she was sending down his spine had on him, she bent her chest closer to him, until hers rested in his. Her head was right next to his ear, and she took advantage of that whispering with her most seductive voice "You wouldn't think I'm innocent now, would you? Because that mistake may kill you" She finished, as he noticed just how close the metal blade was from his throat. He gulped.

She stood up and started walking carelessly again, without stopping to make sure the blonde was following her.

"Just who the hell are you, Girl?" He murmured. His hand travelled to the higher part of his pants, which now seemed too small for him.

"Urg. My headphones are dead" They had been walking for more than an hour, him following her. He had tried earlier to swap his black fur coat for her brown cotton one. Not that he would ever like any other coat better than his trademark one, but he knew for sure she must be freezing with just that and the white dress. But her glance told him it wouldn't be a good idea to try again.

"It could be because of the blizzard… Or maybe they are just frozen? You should keep them, in case some heat could fix them."

"Oi, talking about the blizzard… Can't you do something? At least stopping this disturbing wind."

"It is not disturbing! What about I pick on your lightning?" She said, angrily.

"I get it, I get it. So, it's not disturbing; it just makes it more difficult for me to see anything. There, happy?"

"Yes" She said with a smile, as the dangerous ice storm disappeared to leave a snow-white tundra with no one to be seen.

"You could have stopped it sooner and didn't say a thing?"

"It didn't bother me, and as you were saying nothing yourself, I thought we were… cool" She said, smiling at her own poor attempt of a joke.

He decided to let it slide. He had been shown too many times already that not choosing his words carefully when she was in that strange mood of hers may lead him to be teased by her in unexpected, at times hot, ways, and he sure as hell didn't want any more demonstrations of how well she could seduce a man. And not just any man, but Laxus himself! There was something scary in the woman if she could make him feel this way, so out of his usual control.

"Hey, look, it's a cave! Maybe we can have some rest and start again tomorrow? It's getting dark" Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah sure" He followed her like he had been doing for hours and, as they were about to get into the cave, something caught his eye.

"Oi, Girl, come over here for a sec"

"What is it?"

"I think I've found something"

He continued walking the same direction they had been going and found a huge Wyven body. The beast was lying in the middle of nowhere, his body upside down, and its eyes wide-open, no move coming from it.

* * *

 **Laxus P.O.V.**

"Stay over there for a sec, Girl, I'm going to make sure he is dead." It wouldn't be the first time the target tried to trick him to catch him off guard. Never worked.

I let a bit of my power loose and lightning struck the dead body in front of me. _Yeah, truly dead_. "Ok, now you can get closer"

I started examining the body. It was a Wyvern, as the mayor from the town nearby who offered the reward had supposed (I didn't even bother meeting him in person, because just by the little talk we had by lacrima communication you could tell he was an asshole). But that wasn't it. The monster was _white_. Like, most white thing I've ever seen. If I had to describe him in some way, his colour would certainly be highlighted. So, how did the new girl know about the damn colour? _Having seen it,_ was the most obvious answer, but it would mean me having to think about what that would mean, and who the hell she was, and I didn't want any headaches. The girl was a mystery herself

Next thing that was remarkable was the way he died. I mean, we all die someday, but not like that. The beast looked like he had been attacked by thousands of sheets of paper, judging by the wounds. And there was no blood.

So, we had a _white_ Wyvern, in an iced _white_ landscape, with cuts that didn't draw blood. _Shit, they are awfully deep. No wonder the thing died from these._

But, who could inflict those wounds? And where the hell was the blood?

"Watch out!"

I heard a flap of wings and a heavy thud, and everything went black.

 **A/N: How was it? Please leave a review and tell me what you think! It means a lot to me :D**


	4. and the Hurricane (2 Parts)

**Chapter 4: The Lightning Dragon, the Wyverns and the Hurricane (part 2)**

 **Laxus' P.O.V.**

The first thing I noticed when I started regaining conscience was the warmth that spread through my chest. It felt so good, so _right_ , I couldn't help drawing the source closer. Almost instinctively, a growl formed in my throat, as I felt the soft warmth fit in my chest as a puzzle part finding its home.

Next thing I felt was my arms, or should I say the curved body that I was drawing closer with them. A scent claimed my attention, a mix of jasmine, ozone and apples. _Damn, it's so peaceful._

Then, I heard a soft giggle close to my ear, awakening me completely.

I opened my eyes and looked at what my arms were hanging on to. Aria was in the same position as the one she positioned herself into back when she was healing me. Only, this time my arms were closing the space between our bodies, and her head rested in my shoulder.

"The hell…" I looked around us and realized I was sitting with my back held by a wall. We were hiding in some sort of room naturally carved, with barely enough space for me to stretch both my arms without hitting the rock wall. In front of me, a narrow passage signalled the only way in and out.

"Could you let me go for a sec?" She whispered in my ear. I released her immediately, and she laughed again. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmh… great, why?" Her smell still filled my nose and tempted me to take her again in my arms.

"Well, you received a hard hit out there"

"Wait… was I unconscious?" She nodded "For how long?"

"I don't know… maybe half an hour? It's hard to say, I was trying to take both of us to a safe place…"

I looked at her for the first time since I woke up and I saw a couple scratches in her right cheek and her neck.

Suddenly, it hit me. We were on a mission. S-class mission. I saw the Wyvern we were targeting lying dead on the ground, and then…

"What happened to me?"

"You were hit by another Wyvern. Looks like they were a couple or something because the other one is looking for revenge" She smiled.

I let my guard down. How the hell did I not sense the damn beast approaching?

 _Well, you heard that flap of wings…_ And then it hit me. WHAT THE HELL WAS WRONG WITH ME? I let a girl alone in an S-quest with the enemy _and_ my useless body to take care of. How did I become so reckless? My blood let my face as the gravity of the situation finally reached me. We could have died. Both of us. I risked both our lives because I had become confident. Just what in the world was I thinking?

"Laxus?" Her worried tone drew me out of my thoughts again. _She saved us. I put us in risk and she could have died trying to save me_. I examined her more closely. She didn't look as if she had just faced a Wyvern. In fact, she looked more like a child who went out to play and fell to the ground. Her scratches were superficial, and, apart from looking a bit dirty (probably from having to drag my unconscious body all the way down here), she was just fine. "Laxus?"

"I heard you the first time, you know?"

"You didn't answer the first time."

"How did you do it?" Her face was a mask of confusion. "How did you defend yourself from the Wyvern _and_ carried my body down here? How did you know there was a safe place for us to shelter from the weather and the Wyvern? Is the beast still alive? Where did it go? WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS GOING ON DOWN HERE?"

"Shh" She put her hands in my chest, trying to do something with my bad mood. "Don't speak that loud." I realized she had been whispering the whole time. "That thing is still out there. I didn't know there was a place like this, the wind told me."

"The wind…?"

"Yes. You see, I sense changes in the air. And there was a strange airflow coming from here. I didn't know I would find such a place, all I knew was that there was a place narrow and long enough for us to hide until you came back to yourself."

"And the Wyvern? How did you protect yourself?"

"That was the difficult part. I can transform my body into my element, but I can't transform anybody else's. I'm still working on it, I promise. But that thing was determined to kill you, as if it had decided you were responsible for its partner's death, so I had to act quickly. Thank Mavis I had the scythe."

"Where is it anyways?"

"Let's just say nobody will be using it any time soon" She said, smiling apologetically. "So, I had to…"

A furious growl echoed from the entry of the improvised shelter, interrupting the girl. "Finally you find us" I shouted, standing up and heading towards the origin of the beast's sounds.

"Oi, Girl, why does it look like sky is going to fall down?" Besides me, the most raging storm I've ever seen exhibited how destructive nature could be if it sets its mind to it. The wind was howling like a chorus of banshees, the clouds were pitch-black, and I've never seen such a downpour, which looked like it had set its target in writing a new chapter in history. "The second Universal Deluge" would be the title.

"I'm just missing lightning, but it's harder than it looks when you can only control the atmosphere" A voice sounded behind me.

I smiled. "Let me help with that"

* * *

The battle was actually shorter than I expected. The Wyvern looked dizzy enough thanks to the weather, and as soon as I stepped outside I was protected by the mysterious girl from the wind, the rain, and anything that would suppose an obstacle between the irate Wyvern and me. When it fixed its attention in me, it adopted a battle stance, its eyes flaming with how close it thought it was to revenge.

I almost felt pity for the wild creature. It hadn't done anything to deserve such sadness, and I could understand it was only looking for a way to ease its pain. But it was dangerous to everyone stepping in its way, and as a mage of Fairy Tail I wouldn't allow such danger to run wild.

Its body grew wider, its wings slightly separated from its body to look more threatening. But, to me, those wings only looked like huge lighting rods, and they were screaming to feel my magic. My own lightning was screaming to touch those huge rods connected to its body. So, I let the energy flow through my body, wrapping me in an electric coat, and directed one lighting after another to the huge monster. The beast was soaking wet from the storm, so it wasn't even worth classifying it as an S-mission battle. He didn't stand a chance from the moment it got close to me thinking I had kill its mate.

"Ok, that was _not_ everything I'm capable of…" I stated, turning around to find my companion with shiny eyes.

"I _love_ your lightning! Please, show me more!" With an admiring smile in her face, she ran closer to me, as I felt the bad weather dissipate in a matter of seconds.

* * *

 **Erza's P.O.V.**

The train stopped and Lucy, a faint Natsu and I stepped outside. As his foot touched solid ground, his normal skin colour returned, and his usual energy filled him again.

"Finally! Let's go find that Wyvern!" Natsu shouted, happily.

"We are not looking for the Wyvern, we are looking for the new girl." I corrected.

"Hey, look at that!" He interrupted

"What is it?"

"It looks like a… hurricane!"

"Yeah, Natsu, a hurricane. In the middle of the mountain."

"Lucy, do you have any other idea what that might be?" I had actually thought the same.

"Let's get closer!"

"How are we getting closer to a _hurricane_?"

"Walking! Let's go, Lucy!" And with that, Natsu started running towards Mt. Hakobe.

I started missing Gray. He had gone on a solo mission, so I couldn't help feeling like Team Natsu wasn't at its fullest. He always had the wisest words, and kept Natsu's bursts of energy to a minimum.

"Are you coming, Erza?"

"Oh! Sorry, Lucy. I'm coming" I hadn't realized they had started moving, as lost in my own thoughts as I was.

* * *

"So, how does she look like, Erza?- she says" Horologium transmitted. She had summoned him as soon as the rain started to fall. I was thankful I had brought an umbrella with me, seeing Natsu soaking wet.

"Umm… brown, long hair; white dress…" I couldn't see her more than a few seconds, and she was far… "I didn't have a good look at her" I admitted.

"Do you think she will like reading?-she said" She asked, her tone dreamy. "Ooh, I so want to go shopping with…"

"I think I found it!" Natsu announced, his mood as his exceed's name.

"Don't get any closer to the Wyvern, Natsu!" I warned with a shout. As always, he didn't listen.

"LAXUUS!" Natsu shouted, running towards his fellow Dragon Slayer. I hadn't seen the blond figure standing next to the twin white bumps in the snow. "How did you not take me? I wanted to go on an S-quest!" He pouted.

"Why are you here, _Flame Brain_?"

"Not you, Laxus! I'm Natsu. NA-TSU."

"Hi" A shy voice trembled from behind the black coat of the Lightning Slayer.

"So you are both ok! Hi, I'm Lucy" She said, getting closer to the girl. _When did she send back Horologium?_ She hid again, until the shape of the blond covered her whole body.

"It's ok, you know?" Said blond encouraged, with a sweet voice.

 _Wait, "Laxus encouraged?" With a sweet voice?!" Are we back to Edolas?_ I raised a brow with confusion. What had happened during the few hours they were together?

"Pfff… HAHAHAHAHA! Laxus, you are acting funny!"

"Oh, Natsu, shut up for a sec!" Lucy's eyes were shining, probably with the perspective of being an accomplice with Mira. "So, you beat them"

"Yeah, I couldn't have done it without her" Laxus gave a little push to the girl behind him, so she would be facing us as well.

"Laxuuuus…" I said, my Black Wing Armour making an appearance. "Why does she have scratches all over her body?"

"T-titania, wait, WAIT, I can explain! You see, she created this weather to protect us from the Wyvern and…" He spoke so fast I almost didn't understand the words. _Almost_.

" _She_ protected _both of you_? _You_ , S-class mage, let _her_ protect you?!"

"I-It really is not as it seems! Let me explain!"

"LAXUUUS!" I jumped to close the distance between us, my sword held high prepared to strike.

 **A/N: Aria is going to kill me; she hasn't gotten any P.O.V.s in this or the previous chapter… I'll try next chapter… But then, some mysteries would be solved! Aarg, it's so difficult to choose the best moment to uncover the enigmas T.T**

 **So, "Who is Aria", "Why has she lost her memory", "Why does Mavis know her", "Is there something more than it looks in - _The wind told me-_ or am I messing with you", "Who killed the Wyvern", "What was that _strange feeling_ Erza and Laxus felt at the beginning" and "What will happen between my OC and Laxus" are the main questions here right? **

**You think you have the answers? Leave a review! :D**


	5. Let me protect you

**Chapter 5: Let me protect you**

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

I didn't think it through. I really didn't. So, when the red-haired woman was bringing her sword down in an attempt to cut the huge mage that was shielding me from the other's view, everything my mind was able to process was the kindness he had shown me in a day, and the concern he showed while on the mission for my well-being.

" **I'm the dancer in the clouds;** " the first verse of a poem I knew too well made its way through my lips. Immediately, a huge wall of wind surrounded us, protecting both the lighting mage and me from the armored girl. Her sword made a strange, metallic sound that made my skin full of goose bumps, before it split to half and went flying somewhere I didn't see.

"Hurricane mystery solved" said the friendly blond girl from before. _Her name... Luigi? Lucky? Urg, I forgot._

"Yeah, Erza, well done!" Cheered Natsu.

"Wha-" Said Erza was about to cry, looking at the remaining of her black sword dumbfounded. "My sword..."

"Are you serious?" Laxus was shocked, unable to move, and trying to understand what had just happened. "Titania, what the hell did you attack me for?"

"They can't hear you" I told him, raising my hand to his shoulder to call his attention.

"Whatcha mean?"

"The barrier hides us from view, sound, and blocks from external attacks"

"So you did this? I can still hear them"

"I did this" I confirmed, fear starting to build from my stomach. _Did I do something wrong?_ "We can also see them. It only works for them.

"You did this" _Eh? Was that a question or an accusation?_ My head lowered a bit, fearing some sort of punishment from the guy. "You sure are useful!" He said with a grin. "Can you undo it, though?" He said, giving it a second thought.

"Of course I can!" I said, trying to express how much that comment hurt me with my face expression. "What would the point be in doing something you can't undo?" I dismissed the spell with a movement of my hand.

"That sort of reminds me of Erigor" Said _Luigi_ out loud.

"Hey, Luce, look at these fangs!" Natsu said, getting closer to the Wyverns. _Luce... well, I still remembered the two first letters_

 _"My sword"_ Erza cried, again.

"Sorry" I mumbled "Maybe a fire wizard can fix it for you"

"Yes! It is a clean cut, It can be fixed!" She said, her face lighting up again. "Thank you" She offered me a kind smile.

"What about we go to town? We need to report the job has been finished, and we could go to a restaurant and talk what happened over meal."

"Sounds like a great idea, Laxus!"

As we all started moving, Laxus took the remains of my coat and put his own over my body.

"Looks like I will be buying you that scythe after all. I have this annoying feeling I owe you." He said, looking embarrassed. I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Thank... you..." _*Yawn*_ "See? you... are not a bad... guy after all" I realized my eyelids were weighting tons, and I was having a bad time with keeping my eyes opened.

Lexus looked surprised. "A good boy, huh?" He said, with a mix of wonder and regret in his voice. "I guess you still _are_ innocent, Girl"

My face wrinkled mirroring my discomfort to what I knew was an incitement, but I couldn't get my energy back to reply. "Laxus... " I murmured. His eyes showed amusement, expecting to see the response he was trying to pull off me. "Catch me..." I breathed. A second later my body relaxed, unwilling to follow my mind's commands, but, instead of feeling the cold of the hard ground, two arms caught me and raised me up. "Thank... you" I smiled.

* * *

When I woke up from half passing out, half sleeping, I realized I wasn't any more in his arms. Instead, thin, soft blankets were covering my body, which still felt too heavy to move. A thought passed my still light-headed mind, reminding me that last time I ate or slept was... _No, I can't remember_. Once again, I had had too many things in my mind and my body ended up paying the price. I moaned slightly at my stupidity.

A soft hand reached my own, still too weak to barely move.

"Are you awake?" Luce's voice interrupted my thoughts and sent me back to the real world.

"Yeah…" I managed to mumble. I even gave my fingers a little twitch to let her know I had heard her.

"Seriously, what were you thinking? Going out on an S-quest without having proper rest? Jeez…"

"Water?" A childish voice reached me. Unsure of whether my voice would answer or not, I nodded slightly. _Oh, just great. Add dizzy to the pack_. I discovered, just after moving my head.

The crystalline liquid slid through my throat, working wonders on my body.

"Laxus?"

"He went this morning to report to the requester. Erza has gone to buy something to eat."

"Mor…ning?" _Just how long is my body planning on staying this week?_

"Yeah, you slept sound through the evening and night. Laxus stayed awake the whole time. Honey, you have to tell me the secret to have one of the strongest mage in our guild wrapped around your finger like that in less than a day!" She giggled.

I heard a growl from behind her. "Don't be that friendly, Luce. We don't know if we can trust her just yet"

"What's your problem, Natsu? Ever since you started paying attention to her you have been in this Dragon-Slayer-protective-mode that doesn't suit you!"

"Well, sorry to be cautious!"

"She's one of our guild _, flames-for-brain_! She's family!"

I couldn't help but gasp at that word. _Family_. "I'm… family?" My broken voice shut the discussion immediately, allowing silence to take over the room. I couldn't avoid a tear to fall from my eye, while I thought of the kindness everyone treated me with. "Family" I repeated, savouring each and every sound that made such a complex meaning.

A knock took us out of the uncomfortable atmosphere, followed by steps.

"How are you treating our patient?" _Her name… Erma? Can't believe I forgot again_.

"She's awake"

"Good, good! I came across this bakery on my way back and found some strawberry cake, so we can all have some now! Isn't cake wonderful? Uniting people" She said, her voice solemn.

"Erza, what about you have a shower now? I think it will take a while for Laxus to come back, and we can take care of her just right" Luce offered. _Got it, "Erza"_

"Thanks, Lu…" Another knock interrupted her again, and I could hear heavier steps cross the room.

"How is she?" A husky voice floated in the air, its source getting closer.

"Laxus! That was fast!"

I opened my eyes to meet his blue ones.

"Hey"

"Hey you"

…

…

…

Silence again as his eyes pierced mine, as if trying to reach my soul to seek for the answers he was looking for, while anybody else dared to move. A soft current of electricity ran through my sheet-covered body, getting me goose bumps on its way, and I knew it had nothing to do with magic.

"Well, then…" Erza started.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He spoke again, a hint of fury showing in his otherwise expressionless face. The air around him seemed tense, as if a wrong answer would make him snap.

"What do you mean?" I tried to ask, my voice sounding as soft and steady as I could manage.

"What the hell were you thinking when you allowed to continue for _days_ without properly eating or resting? What the hell were you thinking when you left with me on your first day, on a mission without having taken care of yourself first? What the hell were you thinking when you went into the mountains with such thin clothes? What the hell were you thinking when you released such an stupid amount of magic in such a weak state? What the hell were you thinking when you collapsed on my arms, without anything but a sudden warning? No explanation, no previous comments, nothing! Just what the hell were you thinking?!"

I broke eye contact with him, overwhelmed by the passion in his words. I looked at the other three- Luce, Natsu, Erza- to find them looking back at me, expecting an answer. I then searched the room for something to say. It was a small place, with a double bed next to the bathroom door, a coach and a tea table in the middle, and the single bed I was occupying in the bottom. No more furniture, no paintings, no answers. I looked to my left, where I saw a single window, and stared at the sky.

"I thought… I guess I thought I couldn't allow myself to ask for money other people earned honestly. I couldn't bring myself to steal a single apple, nor ask for money. I thought water from nearby rivers and clouds would get me enough to get to Fairy Tail, so I could get a job and earn something. I thought it might not be suffice, but then anybody would mourn my loss. I thought adrenaline would keep me up until we had taken care of that beast and collected our money. Then, I thought of you, of those blue tormented eyes looking at me with curiosity and insecurity, as if I was a puzzle to be solved. I certainly didn't think it through before going to the mission, but that was something I couldn't have avoided… You seemed so self-confident, that I got dragged in the excitement. And then… I didn't want to have the first impression of a weak, innocent girl, so I stole the money from that merchant who had already stolen your money before you even spoke, as some sort of useful revenge on whoever he stole first. I don't want you to have to take care of me as if I couldn't protect myself" I mumbled "I need no babysitter. So, how could I admit I had been days without eating?"

"Where are your parents, Girl? We are taking you back to them" He said, with a defeated attitude.

 **Natsu's P.O.V.**

"Girl…" Her voice sounded suddenly calm. Shouldn't she be more angry? She said she didn't want to look weak, right? "You call me Girl again…" She rose to a sitting position. "So I look like a Girl who can't protect herself…" I was starting to get a bad feeling. I knew that voice from when scary-Lucy got mad… _that_ was beyond scary.

"I have a bad feeling…" I said in a hurried voice, unable to stop my body from moving.

"So this Girl will have to show you… a lesson you won't forget…" She looked at Laxus in the eye and her lips curved slightly.

"Shit, Laxus! What did you do?" Lucy's voice trembled, as the air girl's body started emitting an evil aura.

"So you won't think for a moment… to take advantage of this… Girl"

A huge magical pressure appeared in a matter of seconds, and I made my way to cover Lucy as I could. When I managed to get to where she was, my body was on fire from the difficulty of moving with the magical atmosphere. I dragged her to a corner as far as I could while the girl started reciting.

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

" **I'm the dancer in the clouds; I'm the caress of the wind.**

 **I command with all my might; for the contract we both signed,** "

The first four verses of my song escaped through my lips in a delicate gust of breath, and I couldn't help but marvel at the changes that I wasn't still used to that occurred in my body. My sight became more acute; my sense of smell, sharper; my hearing, preciser. I could taste in my mouth the water I took a while ago, and I could tell what Erza had brought us for brunch. Through my veins ran power, and in my back a weight started to get itself known. I almost laughed in relief, but I knew my wings wouldn't be displayed for just singing four of the ten verses. I stood still for a second, trying to get used to the new feelings, closing my eyes, tasting the world. I opened them back soon, meeting Laxus', and in the back of my mind I acknowledged what Natsu did. He challenged my pressure just to get Luce safe. Not like it was necessary, though. I had a perfect control of the wind in this state.

My attention was, nonetheless, in the blond behemoth in front of me. His eyes wide with surprise and caution, he finally realized what I was truly capable of. And I hadn't even released half of my true power. Laxus could be, easily, one of the 10 strongest wizards I had come across in my life, so I calculated that three verses would suffice to get him to understand that he shouldn't take my words that lightly; however, I had always been a cautious one, so I sung the fourth just to make completely sure I had the upper hand. Singing the fifth, though, was unthinkable: I wanted to teach a lesson, not kill the guy.

I condensed air into a thin blade of wind that would cut even the strongest of metals, trying to do it as slow as I could, so he could see my intentions. As I hoped, a barrier of lightning suddenly appeared to cover Laxus and the rest from the blow.

I sent the blade against that barrier. And pressed. It was simple, really, I didn't even have to say a word or move a muscle. The air was connected to my thoughts, and a thought was all I needed. Slowly, I saw Laxus taking steps forward, trying to hold his barrier with all his energy. It didn't take more than a minute to bore me, so I summoned a second blade, in a _way_ shorter amount of time than the first one, and sent it against the barrier with the first. When that condensed air touched the barrier, the electric shield broke to pieces, with a glass-breaking sound. The blades stood in the air, not moving an inch, but lethal as they could ever be, threatening. I left them there, floating, for a few more seconds, until I made sure everyone in the room understood that they wouldn't have a way to protect themselves if I commanded attack. I felt powerful. In control. The feeling made me feel pride and pleasure, but I didn't let my lack of self esteem get over me. After all, I wanted to teach a lesson, not sow fear. The blades disappeared into thin air, and I heard a couple sights of relief.

"I am not defenceless" I stated, curtly. "I do not need my parents to take care of me. And I would rather not be expelled from the guild" I was about to shut my mouth and have some more rest, but my tongue wouldn't stop from repeating a thought I'd rather have only in mi mind "That comment hurt, Laxus"

 **Laxus P.O.V.**

"That comment hurt, Laxus" those words echoed in my mind, bringing shame and guilt to my body like a tsunami. I couldn't breath, not after I had seen the shine in her eyes before she turned her head back to the window and went back to sleep.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?!_ I didn't mean to be so harsh on her, but I felt so angry. Not at her, but at myself. How couldn't I have noticed? And I took it on her. After hearing why she wasn't eating, that anger didn't diminish. It was overwhelmed by sadness, and a need to protect her so strong… I didn't know what to do with those emotions. Hell, I don't even know yet what to do with my emotions! I've met the girl for a fucking day! And still, she trusted me. And still, she saw in me some sort of knight in shining armour.

I _wanted_ to be better. But I felt I wasn't good enough. For a girl I had met for a day! It was making me crazy. I stormed out of the room, not knowing what to do in it. But I hadn't taken two steps in the corridor when I heard a sob. I froze. My mind was divided between the " _take the fucking hell of a care of her"_ possessive dragon and the " _who the hell this chick thinks she is, making me want to commit myself to her"_ selfish dragon. No, it wasn't a selfish dragon. It was a scared, little boy.

I heard another sob, that made me look at my right. It was the unnoticed cry of a little girl, locked behind the room across ours.

"I should have told you… that I'm sorry" Laxus heard, in a sweet, soft, full of regret voice. "I love you. I hope I'll meet you in heaven, dad" _Shit. Shit, shit, shit. What the hell am I doing? Gramps didn't teach me to be such a selfish brat._

 _"Laxus!"_ The voice of the Third Master sounded in his head _"Go back and apoligize, NOW! Or you'll wait until it's too late?"_ Laxus almost laughed _I must be going crazy_. He turned back and got in the room seconds later, thanking the girl for making him see, without realizing, what he should have done.

"You, you, and you. Out." He growled, making the rest of Team Natsu to get out of the room as fast as their feet would allow.

"Oi" No response from the brown haired girl. "Oi, Gi…" He took a deep breath. "Oi"

"You know I have a name, right?" She said, almost smiling.

"No good with names. Sorry"

"Yeah, me too" She actually laughed this time.

"I'll think of another way to call you."

…

 _Shit, get it over with_.

"Sorry" He looked at her in the eye, first noticing how they looked brown from afar, but had small yellow lines that resembled a lightning. They looked so alive.

"Yeah, me too" She repeated. "I guess I didn't think all this through. I just let myself go with the flow. Just lost control."

"I… I guess I was scared" He mumbled

"Scared?" Her eyes went wide.

"No, not of you!"

She visibly relaxed "Good" She said, softly, as if she was in the edge of sleeping. "I'm scared too, you know? I didn't want to be taken advantage of for looking weak, again"

 _Again_. He was about to ask, but something in her eyes made him contain himself.

"Let me protect you" He said, instead.

"What do you mean?"

"Trust me, and I'll protect you. I won't let others take advantage of you." He had said it in the heat of the moment, but he meant every word.

"I trust you" she said, just like in the train station. And he knew she meant it. He felt how his " _take the fucking hell of a care of her"_ dragon ate the " _who the hell this chick thinks she is, making me want to commit myself to her"_ little kid. She gave him wings.

"I won't let you have another reason to lose control. I'll protect you." She smiled, and he felt his lips curve in response.

That was it. He was completely, utterly lost.

 **A/N: My fangirl heart is squealing right know! :3**

 **The "song" our Aria sings was made up by me and myself only... So, there's a chance it sucks... Never read english poetry before... I'll be releasing it by bits, you tell me how it looks!**

 **Extra-long chapter today, in exchange for taking this long to update. Honestly, I was feeling a bit down and couldn't find it in myself to write... Hope the feeling's gone forever!**

 **Please, tell me what you think. Your opinion means a LOT to me! Even if it's just a word! Thanks! :D**


	6. Let's go back

**Chapter 6: Let's go back**

 **Lucy's P.O.V.**

We were going back to the room after two hours trying to keep ourselves busy. It even got to the point to have to go to that bakery again and buy Erza some cake so she would calm down. Jeez! Those two didn't know what the word "intimacy" meant! Erza pestering all the time about how the cake that still was in the room was _"waiting patiently for me to properly taste it, and I can't dishonour its effords!"_ and Natsu, as expected, with a " _that girl seems really strong! I want to fight her! Yosh, I'm all fired up!"_ stuff. For the love of Mavis, those two needed to talk things through, and she was injured! I smiled at that thought. Who would have thought the huge, powerful-and, let's admit it, _a bit_ scary- Thunder God Laxus Dreylar would look as such a tender and thoughtful nurse! The thought still sent giggles trembling through my body. Oh, how much would Mira like…

"Luce, are you ok?" Natsu asked, while devouring some strange mix between a doughnut and a cake. "You suddenly look scary…"

"It's ok!" I assured him, with a bright smile. _Oh, if only Mira would know…_

Still, there was something about that release of power the girl did, without an apparent efford, that sent shivers down my spine. It took her less than a couple minutes to corner Laxus! And still… I knew she hadn't meant no real threat. Not after everything I'd been through.I had learnt by heart to look for those little differences in battle that exposed the real intentions of the attacker, and I was completely sure that girl had not, in any second, tried to hurt any of us.

It was the huge release of raw power what worried me. The girl looked just so innocent - doesn't matter what she wants, she can't avoid looking like an innocent doe with those brown eyes looking softly at you as if caressing every second of you. Yeah, she could understand what Laxus might have seen in…

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO MORE CAKE?!" I jumped in my seat, abandoning my line of thought, as Erza stared at the baker.

"I-I'm so sorry, miss, but I'm afraid you have run through all of our supplies…" The victim tried to explain to a raging Titania.

"LUCY" She shouted, looking at me. I stood frozen in the place, feeling like a huge lioness was looking down at her pray before striking the final blow. "WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE ROOM. AND I EXPECT, FOR THE SAKE OF LAXUS, TO FIND THAT CAKE IN PERFECT CONDITIONS"

"A-aye sir!" I squeaked.

"STAND UP, NATSU" I saw Natsu standing up, straight like a soldier, with his mouth filled with sweets.

"Awe shir!"

* * *

So, back we went. We were standing in front of the closed door, unsure of whether we were about to interrupt a crucial moment in the mage's relationship. Insecure, I knocked softly on the door. No answer. I looked back to Erza, who nodded in reassurance, cake in her eyes. I knocked again, a bit louder. No answer.

I pulled the key out of my key ring and opened the door slowly. What I saw made my heart melt.

Aria was lying again on the bed, facing the room -not the wall behind her, or staring at the window as she had done when she felt sad. Her face reflected pure peace and happiness, even in her sleep. Or maybe more so, as she breathed softly, making a rebellious lock of hair dance gently over her mouth.

Laxus was sitting on a chair in front of her, -where did he took that from?!- his huge arms crossed on top of the mattress, his head resting on them like a pillow. The Thunder God was, for the first time since I've known him, facing the little girl and with his back to the door.

I had once asked him why he always sat facing the door, as I took notice of that habit of his and my never-ending writer's curiosity was about to kill me. He chuckled and explained me, in his rough way, that instincts were telling him to look at the entrance, because any danger could come any time through those doors. After understanding that, I noticed that Gajeel, and even Natsu, tried unconsciously to face the door, although they probably didn't even realize it.

 _So, where did those instincts go now, Sparky?_ I wondered, amused.

"Hey, Erza, where's the food?" Natsu shouted, his usual goofy smile on his face.

I sent him my most dark death glare as Laxus, startled, looked in all directions. Yup, very much awake. The magical moment we witnessed was gone. _Thanks, f_ _lamebrain._

"I'm sorry for that" I apologized for my partner's behaviour.

"It's ok" Aria assured, opening her eyes "Thank you for taking care of me, Luce" She offered me a thankful smile. Natsu stopped fighting with the bag, suddenly a serious expression in his face. His eyes darkened as he spoke in a low voice "Only I can call her Luce"

"Just what is wrong with you, Natsu?! Can't you be a bit more friendly with our NEW GUILD MEMBER?! She is family too, you know?" He had been that mean to her all since they met, and I saw her as a potential new close friend. I really liked the girl, and was intrigued about her relation with Laxus, but suddenly Natsu came with that out-of-character pushy attitude that I knew nothing about.

"Sorry, Luce" his voice sheepish and kind once again. "I just feel weird with her around. As if I shouldn't get close" He tried to explain, rubbing the back of his head.

"Explain" Laxus took sudden interest in his fellow Dragon Slayer's feelings.

"Oh, well" He frowned, trying to look for the words. "It's like, you know when you are very hungry? And then you see one of Erza's cakes, and think _well, she is not around_ , but then another voice says _but if she discovers she'll kick your ass_ … So, like that" Four sweatdrops appeared in our heads. "It probably is nothing, though I just can't make myself to sound kind, sorry" He said, and resumed his struggle with the lunch bag.

 _Woah, this is what I call an uncomfortable silence…_

"So, we should head back" I offered

"Let's go back! Fairy Tail awaits!" Natsu grinned.

"Yeah, how are you feeling about it, Aria?" Said Erza, approaching the two other mages.

"Hmm… I think I could handle an hour in the train, I'm not _that_ bad. Yeah, after eating I will probably be recovered."

"Can't you heal yourself like you did to me in the train?"

"It's not that easy. When I heal you, what I'm doing is kind of a copy of my body status, and overwrite your sickness with my well being. If I were nervous, you would probably feel nervous too, as I was copying my emotions. Therefore, you relaxed. But I can't overwrite feeling weak because I can't produce this copy out of the past or something to heal myself over it" She explained.

"Okay, I didn't get half of that, but I guess that means you have healing powers like Wendy?" Erza looked like she was concentrating hard to understand what she said.

"I don't know Wendy, but I can use a few supportive spells"

"That's so useful! I'm guessing since that hurricane that you use wind magic?" It was no wonder why I felt close to the girl, her aura reminded me of Wendy's now that Erza mentioned it.

* * *

 **Laxus' P.O.V** **.**

Just like that, Blondie started a girl's chat with that Girl, so I immediately put my Sound Pods on and spaced a bit. Sometimes giggles and squeals would make their way through the music, but I was far too gone to pay attention. My mind was in what the pink-haired brat had casually said before- I just can't make myself to sound kind. It was so not like him, and so similar to what was happening to me, that I couldn't stop looking for similarities to try to understand what I was feeling. _Maybe it has something to do with a spell? Something to make people's personalities turn around. That would explain why I'm so fond of her, when I don't even know her. Shit, I feel as close to her as Ever, and I've known the Fairy for YEARS. But then, Blondie and Titania seem to behave normally._ I cracked an eye open to look at them interacting, seeing the reequip mage offering cake to the Girl, and Blondie laughing. _Yeah, well, not "normal" but how I would expect them to behave. Would it be just something with boys?_ I tried to remember every conversation I had seen with other boys. _Okay, not much. I just don't know the girl! How can there be so many proves and still feel like I don't want her hurt? Okay, Laxus, relax. Deep breaths. There you go. She talked to Gramps… Maybe he changed his usual prudent beha… wait, no, he probably just saw that hot body and asked no questions. I'll keep an eye on boys, see how they do._

And that was everything my mind was on until we reached the train station, and a familiar scent caught my nose.

"Hey, Lucy!" Shouted a certain blue haired script mage.

"Yo, bunny girl. Titania. Laxus, Pinkhaired." Greeted the Iron Dragon Slayer as we approached the two.

"Levy! Gajeel! What are you guys doing here?" Blondie asked, excited.

"Forget that, Luce! He called me Pink haired!" He pouted. Apparently, while we walked, he said yet again something rude to my Girl - _ehem,_ the _Girl_ \- and the celestial mage threatened to close shut her windows for a month if he started a fight until we were back to the guild, so instead of picking a fight immediately, he preferred to pout and whine over the whole thing. _Boring._

"We were heading back to Magnolia, we just finished our mission." Levy explained. "Oh! Who is she?"

"She's a new guild member, Aria. Aria, this is Levy, and Gajeel."

"H-hi" she stuttered, making my chest feel somewhat warm. _Cute_ was my first thought. _Wait, cute?! There is something seriously wrong with you, dude_ , I thought to myself.

"Hi! Nice to meet you. Do you like reading? I'm sure we will be good friends!" Levy seemed, again, behaving normally.

"I don't like her." Gajeel stated.

I was watching with genuine interest the whole conversation, and Gajeel's reactions, but his answer and uncomfortable body language somehow disappointed me. I was expecting him to be head over heels for her, as he normally was as rude- or more- than I was. But he seemed to share Natsu's feelings, and those two were as similar as an egg and chestnut. _Yet another theory failed._

"Gajeel! She seems very nice, don't you be so rude!" A petit girl as Levy scolding someone as Gajeel, now _that's_ something I could never grow tired of seeing.

"It's ok, Levy, looks like Natsu and Gajeel have more in common than we thought" Blondie's eyes were shooting darts to her own Slayer.

"Let's get in the train before it departs" Erza's words made our stomachs growl in discomfort. _Please, not another train_. _Please, please, don't make me get in there_. Not that I would ever say that.

"Hurry" was all I managed to say. I looked at Gajeel and Natsu, already looking green, and found some relief in not being alone.

"Come on, Natsu, I will try to soothe you"

"Come on, Gajeel, I'm here with you"

"Thanks" They both smirked and got inside, their legs shaking.

I looked to the Girl, sensing her staring at me, and she smiled in complicity.

 _At least now we all have them_. I smirked back.

 **A/N:** **Chapter 6 already! I'm so happy! Thank you so much for following and leaving such encouraging reviews! It lifts my spirit up! :3**

 **So, another mystery added to the list! What's with our males' change in attitude? Of course, _I_ know, but I want to hear your opinions! I'll solve this one soon, I promise ;) ****Once again, tell me what you think! I am getting really encouraged by your reviews to write more and more! :D**


	7. Weaknesses

**Chapter 7: Weaknesess**

 **Laxus' P.O.V.**

It was instantaneous. As soon as my foot touched the train wagon, I felt that horrible dizziness in my stomach, making me wish I hadn't eaten anything. I knew the thing hadn't started moving yet, but still… disgusting.

I saw that Girl passing me by, with a knowing smirk on her face, before I followed trying my best to hide my weakness.

"Does this happen very often?" She started asking after we were all seated.

"Well, yeah, Dragon Slayers tend to get a bit of motion sickness…" Levy explained.

"What's a Dragon Slayer?" She asked, innocently. Patiently, the girls explained everything there was to know about our magic.

"Ooh… then Laxus is a Dragon Slayer too?" She directed those brown-greenish eyes at me. "He doesn't look very sick" _I swear I just saw a mocking flash in her eyes_.

"Hum… now that I think about it, Laxus, how do you manage?"

"I'm Laxus Dreyar. Got no weaknesses" I managed to say.

At that moment, the train started moving, and I felt as if my organs had been ripped off me, cut, mixed as if it was a salad and put back in again.

"That reminds me… Do you mind if I try to copy your energy, so I can get better?"

The Girl went back to sitting astride on me, and putting her hands on my temples, I felt my motion sickness blowing away. I started laughing, drawing looks from the other mages as if I had gone crazy. _More that I'm back from crazy_.

"As I told you, no one will find any weaknesses on the great Thunder God! Not like this two weaklings! Hahahaha." The Slayers grunted in response, too weakened to properly reply. I kept laughing until the train jolted, making Aria landing on my crotch, effectively cutting off any desire to laugh. I tried to supress the groan that tried to exit my throat, but from the laughs I received from the girls, I knew I had only half-succeeded.

"No weaknesses indeed" Laughed Titania.

And with that, I was more aware than ever of the soft, warm body on top of me.

After a second jolt, a question shot out of my mouth, so fast that I didn't have time to think it through.

"Is-it-necessary-to-be-like-this?!"

"Well… If I'm not in front of you, I can't overwrite information, so, if you figure out another way to be in front of me, without sitting like this, please, I'm all ears" I growled. _Think of something gross…Puppies abandoned! An arm cut! Ichiya! And Gramps! Naked! Urg, that's too much_ … _Dizziness is back…_

"Why, Laxus? Wasn't it that you had no weaknesses?" The girls laughed

By the end of the travel, however, I was grateful not to feel the motion sickness back. The embarrassment was worth it.

* * *

"Laxus!" The shout echoed through the station as we got off the train. "You're back!"

"Freed, don't go crying around such a stupid thing" I said, stroking his head. He was the little brother I never had.

"Tch. Don't make us worry about your disappearance then. Tell us next time you decide to go on a mission!" Ever scolded. _Yup, a sister indeed_.

"Hehe, he surely was banging some woman's brains out!" Bickslow commented, his tongue rolling out of his mouth. _Yeah… he's… just some perv._

"And who might this gorgeous girl be?" Freed asked, raising Aria's hand to his mouth.

"Hey!" I grumbled, without even realizing. _Shit, that happens too much lately_.

"Heh, surely the girl he gave a lay"

Thinking about it, my reaction might have been a bit out of the blue, and maybe, _maybe_ , slightly disproportionate. But seeing Freed getting close to her, and hearing Bickslow as if she was some whore… Yeah, I might have exaggerated a bit.

* * *

 **Gajeel's P.O.V.**

I watched in amusement Laxus going berserk. Now _that's_ something I could never grow tired of seeing. The poor idiots started running all around the station, the huge man behind him as if he was some Godzilla on a rampage. _Well they have that well served. Gihi._

After half an hour- _it all ended too soon_ \- they had managed to calm the Slayer down. They came back to the place where the girls, Natsu and I were seeing everything from, still tense from the adrenaline that was running through their veins.

"… don't know what came into me." I heard from afar.

 _Wait, what?!_ I dragged Natsu from the group as silently as I could.

"Explain"

"Huh?"

"Why does Thunderbutt not explain she is his mate?"

"Oh, he must be shy" I sighed in exasperation

"Natsu. Focus. Has Laxus _ever_ said, commented or recognized Aria as his mate?"

"Um…" Gears turning "No, I think he didn't"

"Oh, hell"

"Maybe he doesn't want to make it public?"

"Or he doesn't know"

"Haha, how won't he know? Igneel was always pestering me about all the mating thing, so his dragon must have…" _Took you long enough_. "Oh, hell"

"Yeah… you know, weaklings like us, we are going to have _so_ much fun…"

Our lips curved in twin sadistic grins.

"Well, they asked _what_ we felt towards her, they never asked about _why_ we felt it".

Mating is a very strong linking. And dragons are possessive as hell. So, after centuries of jealousy and blood, survival instinct made sure that dragons instinctively felt antipathy towards other dragon's mates, as soon as the destined couple met each other. Of course, Second Generation Laxus Dreyar didn't have a dragon to teach him about all aspects of mating. _But come on, he should have known! After all, Lucy Heartfilia never went down well on him or on me after Natsu met her. Shrimp, they both knew before I met her._ So yeah, we feel antipathy towards other's mates, but that doesn't keep us from making friends. It is as if a human met someone who, at first, they don't like. It's as easy as getting to know the person for the effect to disappear… Though you should have a reason for wanting to get past that instinct, especially being a Dragon Slayer. _Oh, but had we got reasons…_ _Gihi_.

* * *

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

"So, when did you two meet?" The iron mage asked on the way to the guild.

"Couple days ago, Gi… _Aria_ here came into the guild demanding to be a member." _I beat your ass…_ "And Gramps accepted. So, after some chat I decided to show the new member what it means to be an S mage, took a mission…" _Fainted…_ "and after I beat that Wyvern's ass we found Team Natsu." _And then I protected you again._ I smiled. _You are just leaving the fun parts_ …

"That doesn't sound like you, Laxus" Freed reasoned.

"Yeah, this little chick here got you under her control, huh?" Gajeel provoked

"Well, _this little chick here_ is stronger than she looks, you know? She could even be close to my level."

"WHAAAT?!" Everyone not in Team Natsu jumped. I smiled. _You are truly going to keep your word._ I felt something warm in my chest and smiled.

"Yeah, you better not try to start a fight with her, you hear me? My… Ehem… _She_ will beat you to a pulp"

"N-no! I wouldn't do that! I would never…" A heavy hand landed on my head, in an attempt to calm me down.

"I know you wouldn't do that" Laxus' voice was gentle and full of trust. "But that doesn't excuse the fact that you could keep up with me during the mission"

"I want to see you two fighting" Gajeel mentioned "That would be the only way I trust you, man" My body buzzed in excitement at the mention of a fight. I still wanted to see more of Laxus' lightning. It was a beautiful magic.

"Yes! Can we? Please? Please?"

"I don't think…"

"But you promised to show me what being a real S mage means! And you said you still had a lot to show me! I want to see your magic again"

 **Laxus' P.O.V.**

"You want to?" I couldn't understand what had gotten into her, but she suddenly changed her timid attitude for one full of excitement and smiles. I looked at her eyes, trying to avoid her contagious smile, and found them sparkling. _She's just too cute… Wait. No. She's… To hell with this! She's the cutest girl I've met._

"Yes! I promise, I won't use my unsealing words!"

"Unsealing words?" Freed suddenly became very interested, probably because he didn't know about that and was eager to learn something new.

"Yeah, those words I said in the room?" Team Natsu and I nodded, the dark memory replayed in our minds "When I was angry. Those unleash a power that was sealed within me."

"Why would you want your power sealed?" Bickslow denied with his head.

She stopped in the middle of the street, all her excitement leaving her as it came.

"I-I…" _Timid again. Man, she is going to end with me…_ I thought, as my heart dropped to my feet at seeing her so seemingly defenceless.

"You don't need to tell this idiots" She looked at me in the eyes. "Everyone has his secrets. You can tell us when you are ready." _Just smile already!_

"Okay" She accepted, walking again at my side- I would have sworn she got a bit closer than before- but that spark I saw earlier, gone.

"So, what about the fight?" For once, I thanked Natsu for his obliviousness.

"Yeah!" Shouted a few

"Yes!" Exclaimed others

"I want to see you fight"

"I want to see _her_ fight. I just hope her dress…"

"Bickslow, you are getting too close to fire again"

"What about in the meadow?"

"It would be perfect!"

"I'll go tell others in the guild"

"Run fast! You don't want to miss this"

"Just imagine her dress torn to…"

"BICKSLOW"

"Yeah, yeah, I know"

"Oh, this is going to be too good…"

"LAXUS FIGHT ME!"

"My Mavis… how did we end up with such a noisy guild?"

As the voices kept arguing, I put my Sound Pods in my ears and pressed play.

 _Fighting this Girl? Well, she's strong, if her magical pressure is any sign, but…_ I sighed and admitted the truth. _I don't want to hurt her._

* * *

 **A/N: So, this is it! Chapter 7! Thank you so much to all the people following and reviewing, it makes me so happy!**

 **More people keep adding up, when will this two have a moment alone!** **Also, the great revealing! They are mated! Poor Laxus doesn't know what is going to come... And his two fellow Slayers are pure evil! They are planning on enjoying so much his weakness...**

 **Laxus: Well, you could do something about it, you know?**

 **Me: Naah, this will be so much fun! ;)**

 **I was planning on doing the** **fight scene as well, but It's proven to be quite a challenge! Three days and I haven't finished it yet -.-' So, I'll post this as a whole chapter, and make the next one longer! Once again, please tell me what you think?**


	8. The fight

**Chapter 8: The fight**

 **Normal/No one's P.O.V.**

Every member of Fairy Tail was in the meadow. After all, not every day they get to see Thunder God Laxus Dreyar in a serious fight. Well, _serious_. Because he sure as hell wasn't fighting to death, nor was she. They wanted to prove their point; Laxus wanted to keep his honour of S mage intact; Aria wanted to prove that she wasn't such a vulnerable, innocent girl.

Amongst the crowd, money ran from here to there in an attempt to earn something with bets.

There were two exceptions to this fuss in the crowd, faces that were not watching with curiosity, nor betting. They were only smirking evilly, watching the two mages preparing for battle.

"This is going to be just so much fun…"

"Ooh, yeah. We will remember this for the rest of our lifes…"

"We are going to remind him of this moment for as long as we can"

"After all, not every day you can laugh over others' ignorance…"

"We shall make a toast. For he who laughs last, laughs best"

"To revenge. To weaklings"

"Shh! Stop it! It's about to start!"

Sure enough, the sound of cracks from Laxus' lightning could be heard, his whole body surrounded by his magic, and Aria's dress started a dance with the wind.

The atmosphere was tense as both mages prepared for battle, none moving a single muscle. Everyone watching them held their breath.

A cloud covered the sun, and darkness covered the meadow, giving the place a gloomy appearance.

Suddenly, a huge lightning aiming towards Aria crossed the field, to collide with a wind shield that protected her like a second skin.

She counterattacked with two wind blades, similar to the ones she used in the hotel room, that disappeared as soon as they touched his lighting shield.

"Copying me, Girl"

"I told you not to call me Girl! Aarg, AERIAL SHOT!" Rocks and pieces of land floated in the air, and then gusts of wind pushed them aiming Laxus from every angle.

A screen of dust covered Laxus' silhouette, so anybody could see what had happened. Aria made it disappear with a flick of her hand, revealing an unscratched Laxus with an arrogant smirk.

"That all you got, or are you so madly in love with me you can't hurt me?"

"W-why would I do that!" She said, with an embarrassed blush "S-STORM SHRED!" She called, increasing the number of wind blades that tried to cut her target. He dodged the attacks, clearly trying to show himself.

"Let's get serious. _Resounding through the air, the roar of thunder, plunge from the heavens and reap destruction!_ Raging Bolt!" A huge bolt of lightning descended on Aria, leaving nothing behind. When it disappeared, the girl could not be seen anywhere.

"LAXUS! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He was staring at the same spot where he last saw the air mage, dumbfounded.

"A-aria?"

"See? It wasn't that difficult to remember my name" Her voice seemed to come out of nowhere and everywhere at the same time, devoid of all emotion.

"What's going on?"

"I've become a ghost" Said her emotionless voice

"W-what?! Did I…" Laxus' voice failed.

"Oh, no, no! I mean, your attack was pretty strong, and as I didn't want to risk it with my wind shield…" A whirlwind formed behind Laxus "… I turned into air"

He turned around, just in time to stop a fist aiming his head with his forearm. Without moving an inch, she smiled, and he let his lips curve in his usual smirk. The crowd watching their battle held their breath.

Suddenly, both of them started a martial arts fight, in which lightning was diverted by the wind and air slices were blocked by thunderbolts.

"What are they doing?"

"Laxus knows some Shaolin Kung Fu, so I'm guessing he just found some worthy opponent. And to even attack with magic, they must be deeply concentrated!" Freed stated, his eyes glowing for having a chance to watch his leader fighting and enjoying himself.

"Worthy? He seems to be winning, isn't he? And, he is so much stronger and taller than her! That must count for something" Lucy opined.

"In fact…" Evergreen seemed worried "I think he must be having more trouble than he let in. I know that facial expression, he frowns his eyebrows like that when something doesn't go the way he wants."

"Maybe his real weakness is her" Gajeel laughed. Mira squealed behind him, mumbling something about blonde, brown eyed babies as her eyes turned the shape of hearts.

"But he didn't have a problem with that blast of lightning, why would he contain himself now? If he was winning he could just knock her out without trouble." Natsu's eyes shone with flames. "They are equal, this is so exciting! I'll join the fight! I'M ALL FIRED UP NOW"

"NO, YOU'RE NOT!" Lucy shouted, kicking the back of his head. He sat back down, rubbing the injured zone.

"But it's good to see Laxus enjoying so much" Bickslow said with a gentle smile, his tongue out of his mouth.

"Hey, Macao, hasn't a lightning just hit the girl?"

"Yeah, she also seems tired... this is not good"

* * *

"Giving up?" Laxus said, after a couple minutes.

"I wasn't planning on it! Were you?"

"C'mon, it's been ages since I had such an entertaining battle! Wouldn't give up for all the money in the world!"

"It is a good thing you are enjoying yourself, but… shall we end this?" With that, Aria disappeared again, reappearing in the ground. She hit the back of his knees, making him fall backwards, and reappeared on top of him, a fist inches away from his face, and an air blade threatening his throat.

Cheers and claps were heard from the other side of the field, their guild mates coming to meet them.

"That was a good fight" Aria said, offering her hand to help him stand up.

"I want a rematch" He mumbled, taking her hand.

 **Laxus' P.O.V.**

I took her hand, subtly letting her know that I acknowledged her victory, and felt as if a million volt lightning had struck me from my hand, travelling to all parts of my body, and making me feel _so_ alive. I suddenly felt all the clothing that was wrapping my body, the grass through it, the wind in my skin, the weight of my Sound Pods, every single hair moving with the breeze. Her hand, warm and soft, every little fold in the skin that met mine.

"Are you going to stand up? I can't do it on my own, you're too big" She said, actually trying to raise my body so I stood on my feet. She couldn't move me an inch.

Besides the shock for feeling _everything_ , I laughed at this and stood up. "You know, I'm big in more ways than one" I said, winking an eye.

She let my hand go, her head the same colour as Erza's hair. The sudden feeling of sensitivity disappeared.

"Oh, Mavis, THE BABIES!" Squealed a voice.

"I'M GOING TO BE A GREATGRANDFATHER!" Cheered another.

"He liiiiikes her!" purred a third.

Ignoring the voices, I touched her arm. Again, a current travelled through my whole body. **_What are you doing?_** The voice echoed in my mind.

"What are you doing?" she said _Heh? Did I just…_ **_Don't let me go_** said the voice.

"Let me go" She said. _No fucking way…_

She released herself from my touch.

 _Did I just really heard her thoughts? Oh, Mavis. And what was that sensitivity-electricity from right now? She really is something else…_

"Earth calling Laxus!" said a really pissed off Evergreen. "Come on! Are you going to stay there much longer? Everyone is heading back to the guild"

"Oh, shit! Sorry, Ever, I spaced for a bit" She looked at me surprised. _Idiot, since when does the Thunder God give explanations? Or apologize? Since we met that Girl… Oh, my Mavis, I must be going mad…_

"Why did you let her win, Laxus? And don't deny it, because I know you didn't use your strongest attacks" Freed pouted.

"She didn't use hers, either" I remarked.

"Yeah, all that sealed power and stuff. Do you believe that?"

"Bickslow, I _saw_ it. It's not a matter of believing, I felt all that power, and trust me, I wouldn't have stood a chance if she fought me to death."

"Wow… She's a hot _and_ powerful chick… Do you think I'd stand a chance if I asked her out?" And, twice in the same day, I snapped.

* * *

"What the hell, man… you are weird today" Said Bickslow while rubbing his sore neck, entering the guild hall.

"Just shut it" I grunted.

"I don't understand how I always end in the middle of you two" Complained Freed

"I think you deserve what you got. Ever since he came back you've been annoying him" Evergreen said, while scanning the room for a certain "manly" man.

"Don't act like you are not curious about all this story with the hot chick"

"Bickslow, you are so going to deserve your third beating" _She's not here. Not even her scent is here, she can't have came to the hall… Has something happened?_

"Hey, Mira, where is that Girl?"

"She's gone with Lucy, Levy and Erza to do some shopping and look for a place to stay, why?"

"Aaw, I wanted to go, too" Ever whined.

"No reason. Just curious" I shrugged my shoulders and made my way to our usual table.

"Seriously, Laxus, what is going on with you? You suddenly disappear on an S quest with a girl you don't know, without telling anyone and you come back behaving like…" Freed stopped. I raised a brow at him.

"Say it"

"Like you've had the best lay in the world, man" Ended Bickslow. _Dude, I trust you and all… but you are a total perv_.

"So what"

"Oh! So you and Aria have…"

"NO! Fuck, I didn't even touch her skin until she beat me before" I said, remembering that strange feeling.

"Okay, then there is something seriously wrong" I glared at Evergreen "I mean, I know you have changed and all… but if you didn't go with her to seduce her… then I'm out of explanations" Three pair of eyes looked at me, expecting an answer.

"I dunno" I shrugged

"LAXUS!" Freed's shout raised a few heads. He continued in a much lower voice "You tell us in this moment what is happening, because we have been worried sick and I am not going to stand here while you act like you don't know us. We are your family!"

"I'm serious, I don't know"

"Laxus…"

"No, Freed, listen to me. I don't know. I don't know why I suddenly feel like I trust her, why I want to be around her so nothing happens. I don't have a fucking clue why when I touch her I feel like sparks all over my body make me feel more alive than I've ever imagined I could have. And fuck, I want to know what is going on more than anyone here, but I don't. So don't you come here acting like I don't trust you because you know I do"

Silence. _Why did I say all that? Now they'll think I'm a good-for-nothing weakling._

"Then we'll help you"

"Huh?"

"We'll help you figure out what happens. We'll investigate, we'll ask anyone, whatever! But we'll be there for you"

"Thanks, guys" I breathed. Maybe it hadn't been a bad idea to trust them, because I felt like I had some control again in my life.

* * *

Across the room, two Dragon Slayers looked at each other and smiled.

* * *

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

"I-I'm… not really sure about this…"

"Come on, it will be fun! We'll get to know each other! MIRA! The girls and I are going shopping and all, so we'll go back later!" Called Lucy- _Yes, I finally got her name right_!

"Don't worry" Said Erza, placing her hand in my shoulder in a comforting way. "We all need some girls time, and you need some shopping. I can't believe you brought nothing with you" She said, thinking about all her luggage anytime she went on a long mission.

"Well, Erza, I think anyone needs as much luggage as you do"

"I'm just prepared for any surprises we might find!"

"Let's go, girls!" Said Levy, hugging us from behind "I think Laxus is mad again, so we should hurry" She whispered in our ears.

"He's mad? I should go and see…" I offered. However, I was stopped and dragged from the meadow in a non-too-girly way. "LET ME GO! I DON'T WANT TO BE CARRIED THROUGH ALL MAGNOLIA LOOKING LIKE A SACK OF POTATOES IN YOUR SHOULDER! LET-ME-GO!" The three girls laughed and started running, and I couldn't help the smile that grew in my face as I was carried in Erza's back.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I'm sorry, I'm not very good at fight scenes… I tried my best, though! Hours thinking what to do with their magic… For something this short -.-'**

 **We've gotten to see Laxus worried sick for Aria and trusting his team... I know, he is just too much!**

 **I value your opinions a lot, and I know I'm being quite annoying with this, but if you have time, review! :D**


	9. Shopping time

**Chapter 9: Shopping time**

"Sheesh… You are evil" I said. We had finally stopped, and I was allowed to step on my feet. "Where are we anyways?"

"This is one of the main streets in Magnolia. It's only 10 minutes from the guild, that is, if you don't run all the way down here" Levy explained, looking exhausted.

"Here, let me help" I stood in front of her, my hands in her temples, and started working my magic.

"Woah, awesome! I don't feel tired at all!"

"Let me try, let me try! Please!" I did the same to Lucy. "Aaah… this feels good…"

"Erza, do you want to try?" I asked, after finishing with the blond haired girl.

"No, thank you, I'm fine"

"B-but you carried me all the way down here! And with that armour!"

"I'll be ok, I've done much worse" She said, with a warm smile. "Thank you".

"I-I…"

"Aria, that was so nice!"

"Yeah! Let's do this more often!"

"U-um…"

"Aria" Called Erza, her voice serious

"Y-yes?"

"Smile" She said, and started tickling me. Soon, the other girls joined her.

"A-AH HAHAHAHA STOP! PLEASE, STOP! I GIVE UP, I GIVE UP!"

"So now don't be awkward. We are here to have fun!" Smiled Levy.

"YAAY" Shouted Lucy.

"Okay, girls" I accepted, giving my best smile. "Let's go shopping!"

* * *

"Ooh, look at this dress…"

"Levy, it's the same as the one you're wearing"

"That's why it's fantastic! Do you know how hard it is to find a dress in which you can sit comfortably, AND don't show your underwear while trying to get books that are too high?"

"Then what about this one?" I offered her an ankle-long, blue dress made of cotton. "It combines with your hair"

"Ooh, I love it! I'm going to try it!" With that, she ran to the fitting room.

"So, what kind of clothes do you normally wear, Aria?"

"Uum… actually, whatever I can find" I offered a smile, in a poor attempt to avoid being pitied.

"Does that mean you don't have a set style?" A terrifying smile crept through both their faces. That's when I realized what I'd done. "Then…"

* * *

I spent hours- literally, HOURS- posing as a model for the three girls, while they played with me as if I was some mannequin they had to find the best attire , honestly, I really enjoyed it: I felt as if I was somehow important to them.

"Oh-my-god! Laxus is going to love that!" Lucy exclaimed, as I came out of the fitting room once again.

"L-Laxus? I-I… Why Laxus?"

"Hehe… Aria, you don't need to hide anything from us, we know."

"Know? Know what?"

"How you both feel attracted for each other" Whispered Levy, with a mischievous look in her eyes

"T-that's not….!"

"Say all you want, I can see it in your eyes" Stated Erza

"B-but! That's not it, really, we are just friends who trust each other!" I tried to explain.

"Aham… _just_ friends, right? A quick friendship, considering it's Laxus we're talking about."

"ANYWAYS" Lucy interrupted the conversation "doesn't matter who you are dressing for, you are going to conquer them all!"

"That's right! You look good, girl!"

"I'm not really…"

"Aria?" A voice sounded from the door.

"Evergreen! Come join us, we were shopping! Look at this dress Aria found for me!" Levy showed the Fairy the blue dress. "Isn't Gajeel going to love it!"

"Oh! I'm sure he won't take his eyes off you!" They both squealed, to which the rest of us laughed. "And who are you dressing for, Aria?"

"NOBODY!" My face was burning, and I'm sure it was rivalling with Erza's hair.

"Then I'm sure that " _nobody"_ will love that outfit"

"Evergreen! You're mean!" I pouted, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Let's go to the next shop! I've heard they have the cutest accessories!"

"Can we go first to the magic across the street? I wanted to look for a couple things" I said, mentally calculating how many jewels I had left.

"Yeah, I wanted to look for a few keys myself!"

* * *

We paid for our purchases and moved towards the shop. _Please, sell scythes. Please, sell scythes. Please, sell scythes._

The place itself was quite small, barely enough to let the five of us in, but I could sense the magic in the air. It was a bit dark, as it had no windows; and because it was made of wood, the temperature was lower than outside. I immediately loved the site.

Shelves all over the walls displayed hundreds of small magical items- potions to run faster, orbs to see the future, magic rings to put the adversary to sleep… I felt my imagination run wild with all the new possibilities each item I set my eyes in held. Suddenly, a soft gust of wind caressed my ear, tickling my skin when my hair danced to its tune.

Trying to find its source, I turned around, and, dodging Levy, I felt the wind rotating around a small wooden box, carved and adorned with a labradorite. I took it in my hand, the magic from the item blending with mine, and opened it slowly, feeling my heart thumping in my ears from the excitement.

Inside, a silver flute, same size as my little finger, was attached to a thin chain.

"Oh! So that small item caught your eye? It's supposed to be the Pied Piper's flute." The owner explained.

"Pier Piper?" I asked.

"Ooh, I've read about it!" Exclaimed Levy.

"Of course you have" Muttered Evergreen.

"The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a child's story that talks about a piper with a magical flute, that allowed him to control all living beings to his will."

"A child's story…" I remarked, looking suspiciously at the salesman.

"Oh, but all stories have some truth in them, right?" He said, sweatdroping.

"So, it's supposed to control people?"

"That's what the person who sold it to me said, though I wasn't able to make it work…" I took it in my hand and a sweet melody started to sound. The four girls around me stilled, and I saw their consciousness fading in their eyes.

"DROP IT!" The man shouted.

As my skin lost contact with the silver object, the music disappeared, and Erza, Levy, Evergreen and Lucy regained self-control.

"What just happened?" they looked disoriented, as if they had just woken up from sleep.

"I-I… I think I made it work?" I said, uncertainty clear in my voice.

"That's our Aria!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping to my shoulders to give me a hug.

"You are not mad?"

"Why? It wasn't as if you planned to make us dance all night to exhaustion" Evergreen laughed.

"It was truly a miracle. To hear the song of Hamelin…" The shopkeeper murmured.

"How could you not fall in the spell?" I remembered he didn't seem affected.

"I have a lot of magical items that cancel magic. Otherwise, it wouldn't be safe for me to work here! But I'm intrigued about how exactly you made it work."

"Well, she is a user of wind magic" Erza explained, a hand to her chin in a thoughtful way.

"Yes, maybe the wind that always surrounds me made it work?" I suggested.

"That is indeed interesting. It seems as if the item was made for you." I saw an evil gleam in his eyes. "I'm sure you can afford the 70.000 jewels it costs."

"70.000 jewels? That's all one month of my rent costs!" Lucy protested.

"I'm afraid I don't have the money, sir" I told him, trying to look as innocent as I could. _Come on! A lot of people pity me already, please make it an advantage for once!_

"Oh, then maybe your friends here would like to give you a present?" My four guild mates sweat dropped.

"That is a low blow…"

"They can't do that, sir. As you said, the item seems to be made for me. I have to be the one that pays for it."

"Then maybe they could lend you some money."

Levy took the box in her hands. "Huh? What is this label? 10.000 Jewels?" She said, with a smirk.

"O-oh? That old label is still there? My mistake, it shouldn't…" He tried to take the box from the script mage's hands, but she held it out of his reach.

"Let's do something" I offered, getting rid of my innocent façade. "I'll pay for 20.000 Jewels for the box, the flute, its chain and the object that cancelled its effect, which, of course, I will test myself to make sure you don't try to fool us again. If you have any objections" I continued, as he opened his mouth to counterattack "I might call the Rune Knights and" I used my best poor-innocent-girl voice "tell them that an evil man is trying to take advantage of me"

"Or I could show you how to properly treat ladies" Erza added. The man turned pale at this. Everyone in Magnolia knew the Titania should be feared.

"O-of course, now that I think of it, it's a great offer, yes, yes. That would do."

After he calmed down a little bit, he explained that he was only trying to keep his shop, as he had been lately earning too little for a living, and was about to close. He offered me the real price for the two objects- that ended up being 13.000 Jewels- but I refused, arguing that it was well worth 12.000 just the flute and the box, so that was what I was going to pay anyways.

"Now that I think about it, everything makes sense now" He said, once I convinced him that I was paying the 15.000 Jewels. "You see the stone in the box? You can remove it" I tried it, and, indeed, I could withdraw the stone, realizing that it wasn't round but cylinder-shaped, and it had a hole that pierced it from side to side . "And it becomes the perfect case. You can fit the flute in the stone, and it would look like a random necklace. It won't touch your skin, so you can wear it without fearing that your magic would start playing it. It certainly makes sense now, how would you wear it otherwise?"

I smiled looking at the magical item. I hadn't realized it before, but the silver object was engraved as well, with delicate patterns that reminded me of the wind's flow. I had put the magic-cancelling object - that ended being a thin, golden ring- in the box as well, a precaution in case I was accompanied by a guild member and had to use that magic, and thanked the salesman yet another time.

Once again, the wind told me exactly what I was looking for without even realizing it.

* * *

After another half an hour, we exited the shop, Lucy with a new silver key; Erza with a small, light knife she could hide in her shoe; Levy with an ancient book that could shrink for travelling; and Evergreen with a set of glasses that could make the lens disappear, so, she told me, she could use her "other magic" without having to take her glasses off.

"Please, feel free to come back anytime, I'll treat you as the privileged customers that you are" The shopkeeper said as farewell. I smiled. He wasn't a bad person, but he had been unlucky enough to have more than he could swallow.

When we were far enough, I let myself sigh. It had been an exhausting day.

"Hey, girls, what if we go to that bakery and try some strawberry cake? I've tasted it, it's exquisite" Erza proposed. "We can go back to the guild after we eat something, my treat" We headed to the bakery with smiles on our faces. It had been a tiring day, but I knew with a certainty that I hadn't felt better than ever since I could remember.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter 9 ends here! We are starting to get a taste of the real Aria! (well, at least the _usual way Aria behaves_ , no wariness or anger for once), and it looks like she is making friends with the girls at Fairy Tail! (Next chapter will reunite them, and she has new clothes... ;))**

 **She's also gotten a new toy… Look forward to the moment she uses it, I assure you it will be interesting ;)**

 **I want to know what you think of this chapter, so if you can, please review! :D**


	10. Draw a number

**Chapter 10: Draw a number**

 **Laxus' P.O.V.**

"Hey, I'm back!" Gray said, followed by Juvia, and both made their way towards their usual table.

"Laxus, are you, maybe, waiting for someone?" My teammate commented, realizing my attention was on the door and not what he was telling me.

"Don't be stupid" I was bringing the mug to my lips when a smell caught my attention. _Jasmine, ozone, apples_ … _It smells like… like a hidden place in the forest, like… freedom and…_

"LUCE!" Natsu jumped from his sit and run to hug his partner a second before the blonde opened the door, forgetting his already started argue with the ice mage. I stared at the girls coming in the guild, fixing my eyes in a certain light brown hair that was, unlike when she disappeared, braided. Her face could be seen clearly now that she didn't use her hair as a shield; her skin glowing with the sunlight, and I couldn't help the thought that invaded my mind. _She is beautiful_.

"We're back!" Announced Levy, approaching Gajeel's table.

"Hi, Gray… Oh! Aria, I just realized, we didn't help you pick a place to live!" remembered Erza. "Maybe you want to stay in Fairy Hills?" offered the red-haired girl. If I weren't too focused in the conversation, maybe I could have heard Gray and Juvia look at the Girl with surprise.

"U-um… Mayb…"

"Maybe she can stay with Laxus" Shouted Bickslow, with a wicked expression.

"WHAT?" I growled in surprise

"Oh, I think that's a great idea, he has spare rooms, and I don't think he'll mind" interfered Freed.

 _ARE YOU CRAZY? I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU TRAITOR BASTARDS…_

"Oh! Okay… I'll give you your things, then" Out of nowhere, she gave Aria five bags with clothing and girls stuff.

"Thank you again, Erza! But I told you I could carry them myself…"

"Don't start again, Aria. This is what girl friends are for, to support one another. And with such thin arms, I doubt you could have carried them here."

"Don't start that argue again!" Protested Evergreen, who I hadn't realized had arrived with them.

"Hey" whispered Bickslow from behind "Are you going to keep that mug there all day?" _Oh, fuck, I didn't realize…_ I had held the mug mid air since the girls arrived, my mouth slightly opened, as if I had turned into stone when I was about to drink. _Has anyone seen it?_ Bickslow laughed, his tongue surely hanging from his mouth.

"Shut it, you traitor"

"Oh, you owe us. Just think about her, in your house, having a shower…"

"BICKSLOW" I growled, perhaps a bit too loud.

The whole guild was suddenly overcome with silence, fear in everyone's eyes. I returned my attention to my beer, in an attempt to remain calmed- or _appear_ to be calmed. Sure enough, a too familiar feeling crept to my stomach- guilt.

"Hey, Laxus, what is it?" Her soft voice resounded from the first floor. I looked at her, and saw her trying to keep a neutral mask in her face, not showing any emotions, as she climbed the stairs.

"Bickslow and his jokes. Not all of them are funny"

"Jokes? Which one was it?"

"Forget about it" He mumbled, sitting back down and looking through the window. _Wise guy_.

"Oh, well… I wanted to thank you" She sat right next to me. Everyone held their breaths. _I'm not going to rip her apart, stop staring_. "Since I came you've been nothing but a friend to me" A round of whispers replaced the silence. _Friends_. I scowled at the word. "But it really is not necessary, if you feel uncomfortable or something, I'll just look for another place to stay, I really don't mind." She touched my arm, and my senses became sharper yet again. **_Please, don't be mad… I like the proud, smirking Laxus better_**. _Again! I can hear her thoughts! It wasn't just my imagination._

"Whatever. As Freed said, I have plenty of space in my house anyways. Take the time you need to find a proper place to call home" I put my hand in his smaller one, hoping it would lengthen the time her hand was on me. _I like the sound of that. Her hand, on me… She could… Stop that, Laxus, now is NOT the time._

"Gihi…" I heard Gajeel trying to hold a laugh. Everyone in the guild raised their voice at once. _You like rumors way too much…_

"So, Aria" interrupted Freed, saving me from having to listen to what they were saying. "We were interrupted before, but… again, my name is Freed, it is very nice to meet you" He told her, avoiding this time the kiss in her hand. "I am one of the Raijinshuu, Laxus' team"

"Yeah, I'm Bickslow, in the same team! Nice to meet you, gorgeous!"

"P-pleasure to meet you" She muttered.

"Ooh, don't be shy! We don't bite!" Evergreen appeared next to Bickslow, smiling. "You should let your hair down more often, you're more fun!"

"So you got to join the girls?" I asked, remembering she went out to join them.

"Yes! And we had so much fun! We found this shirt that… Oh, wait until Elf… Ups! Nothing!"

"We ate cake, it was good" The air mage offered instead, smiling softly.

"Whenever you are ready to go home, tell me." I observed her as her face became more and more red, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, brats, pay attention!" Gramps appeared from his office. "I've just decided, we are going to have a game tonight!" Roars and laughs were heard from everywhere. "Everyone is going to pick a number" he said, leaving a box and a paper in the bar "and then you check what you've got to do. We'll have exhibitions from everyone! Some will be in pairs, we have a few in groups… and others are going to do their display alone! Who wants to start?"

Sometimes, when I'm lost in my thoughts, I fear his craziness is hereditary. Then he appears… and that fear doesn't go. _How can you come up with such ideas while filling forms for the Magic Council? Oh, yeah, I know. You just leave the paperwork in my office and have some free time, don't you, Gramps?_

"I have "sing"!" One voice shouted

"Me too!" Answered another

"I got "tell jokes"" Whimpered a third.

"Mine's "act like a clown"…"

"Mine is… "dress like a sexy pirate"?"

"Ooh, at least you didn't get "wear your swimsuit""

"Dance tango?..."

"Act like a cheerleader…" The list of stupid actions were endless

 _Gramps, you perv, now I get the enthusiasm…_ I looked at mine, 43… juggling. Ridiculous. "Hey, Girl, what you got?" She gave me a killing look at her nickname.

"Belly dancing"

 _This is not a Guild Master, but a toddler!_

"Hey, Lax, what is yours?" Bickslow tried to read the number over my shoulder.

"Juggling"

"Heh! That's funny! You know what Freed got? Sexy waitress!" He bursted into laughs "I got magician's assistant!"

"Erza! You got puppeteer, why did you put that bunny costume?" Complaint Natsu. I saw from the corner of my eye a couple mages looking for tissues to handle their nosebleeds.

"Oi, flame brain, mine is better than yours!"

"No, mine is better!"

"But I'll do mine much better than you, idiot!"

"What did you say?!"

* * *

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

"First guild fight?" The bartender, Mira, asked me, watching my surprised face.

"U-um… Yes?"

"They love each other. We are family, after all! But children are sometimes… naughty" She said, giggling. "You better get used to this"

"Is that a warning?"

"A promise. Now, tell me, what is going on between Laxus and you?" Suddenly, everyone within ear reach got at least twenty feet away from the white haired girl.

"W-what? Nothing" I must admit, being a newbie sucks.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?" I complaint to Lucy while helping her with the zipper.

"We've all been under Matchmaker Mira's anger at least once. It's like beginner's ritual. Then… you learn to avoid her"

"Hey, Aria, I've got a belly dancer costume here for you!" A girl, very similar to Mira, came in the fitting rooms with the costume. "Oh, come on, are you still angry? She doesn't have an evil soul, it's just…"

"Lisanna, just think of her magic" Evergreen mumbled.

"Oh, well… perhaps I didn't choose the best words to express it, but…"

"It's ok, I think I will survive this" I mumbled. "I'm still alive, am I not? Wait, did she kill me and this is hell?" I said, mock horror in my voice. Fortunately, it lightened the mood.

"Oh, right! I'm Lisanna, Mira's sister" The girl said, handling me the costume.

"Open, gate of the giant crab, Cancer!" Lucy chanted. A strange… crab-boy? Appeared out of light.

"Celestial magic. Amazing, isn't it?" She smiled. "You'll take a little to get used to everyone here, but they are all good people. Don't worry, you'll fit here well"

"Thanks, Lizana"

"Lisanna" She laughed.

"Sorry, I'm… names don't stick."

"Just try that and you tell me how it looks!" She said, waving as she crossed the room.

"Right…" I muttered, staring at the clothing. _It's ok, Aria, you've got this. You've made it this far, you can't back out now. You have to fit in! ... Forget that, this guild is insane._

* * *

 **Bickslow's P.O.V.**

 _I must admit, the Master had outdone himself_. When I came to him with the idea of stimulating a bit his grandson's feelings, _putting it with other words, of course, I value my life!_ I never thought he would come up with this. I watched as girl after girl exited the fitting rooms to prepare their spectacle, each attire almost making my nose bleed- Macao's and Wakaba's could have broken, for that much blood.

I was waiting for the icing on the cake. The new girl. I am positive she has one of the top five assets in the whole guild- even when she hid it in that innocent dress- not all that innocent when she came back from the mission, as it was a little ripped here and there-, but that was not all. She had Laxus, and, for all I have ever been, I planned on having plenty of fun at his own expense… I just hoped I wouldn't end up too electrocuted that night.

At 8 p.m., and with children out of sight, the lights went out, except for a single spotlight on the stage. We had decided actuations to start by alphabetical order, so Alzack was first… And the lucky guy got "Cowboy show", so he just displayed his aim. Honestly, he was quite good... or that was what the girls told us, our minds were somewhere else.

As on queue with my thoughts, Alzacks show ended pretty quickly, making way for the new girl. I was planning on watching Laxus' reactions the whole time, and I was sitting in a strategically great place to do so without getting caught- courtesy of Freed- but, suddenly, the whole scenario turned dark. And, in a blinding flash, light illuminated the stage again, and there she was. She was dressed in gray, decorated by golden coins and threads shining with the light. Her hair was loose, in waves, and the make up made her look like a Goddess, sent to earth to tempt mortals. Standing in the middle of the light, she looked mysterious, ethereal and delicate, yet holding a power that could break the world in two, and bring any man to his knees.

She was only covered by what it looked as a bra and exotic, long trousers, made of semi transparent fabric; only her panties were opaque enough for anything to be seen. Her long, slender legs could be easily made out, specially under that spotlight, and her feet were bare, as her belly and arms. The only other piece of cloth was a thin strip of grey silk that was tied to her neck, connected to the bra by yarns with golden beads that hang over her skin. She was breathtaking. _An Air Goddess_ was all my mind could provide me to describe her while in a state of numbness.

And then, the music started. She moved to the sound of drums and what I could only describe as metal wind chimes, and I knew I wouldn't be able to take my eyes off her for the life of me. She was the wind, howling in the night. She was the clouds, dark in the storm. And she was the thunder, glistening with every move of her hips and arms. She seemed to flow with the music, as if her body was as light as a feather and she could defeat gravity and move to her only will. Aria wasn't dancing like the wind; she was the wind itself, as if it had taken on a human shape. She embodied the strength of the storm, a display of nature's wrath and wind's gentle touch all at the same time. Her face serious, she was a forbidden fruit we mortals were not allowed to taste.

I was hypnotized, up to a point I hadn't realize my attention was abducted until the lights went off again. And even then, when I had been forced to lose sight of that goddess, I stood there, mute, trying to process what had happened. The first thought my mind could conjure was my forgotten objective. _Shit, I lost Laxus' reactions! Maybe Freed…_ I looked to my right, to see my friend as paralyzed as me. Everywhere I looked, mouths were hanging open, their eyes set on the now empty stage. I looked at my Thunder God, but he was nowhere to be seen.

 **A/N: Woah, I can't believe I made it to Chapter 10! Thank you all for your follows and reviews!**

 **You can't imagine how much I learn from this story. Shaolin Kung fu, flutes, belly dancing… I research about anything and everything I mention, so it really is educative XD**

 **So, Bickslow wanted to play a prank… He should talk to the other Slayers, together they would be pure evil…**

 **Once again, review! I take very seriously what you think about the story, so please take a minute and leave a review!**


	11. Make yourself at home

**Chapter 11: Make yourself at home**

 **Mira's P.O.V.**

I was walking down the corridors when I heard a soft bump.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"Thinking? About what?"

"Don't play innocent, Aria, we both know you don't like that"

I hid after catching a glimpse of a tall blonde cornering someone with grey gauze and gold against a wall.

"But I really don't know what you're talking about. Are you so angry about something I did? Hey, talk to me" Her voice became gentler "Laxus, look at me and tell me what I did wrong. I can't read your mind"

"You… I… Aarg, I don't like it"

"Explain" The girl was starting to lose her patience.

"How you look, and how you danced…"

"You didn't like it?"

"No. I liked it. A lot. But you let other guys see it"

"Yeah, that's what this is supposed to be about. We can see everyone's…"

"No. Not like that. They were watching you like… like some prey, they were ogling at you like… Fuck, they were stripping you with their eyes! Not that there is much cloth to begin with…"

"Oh"

"Oh?"

"Now I understand! You are angry because guys saw me"

"Yes. Wait, no, that's not exactly…"

"Are you jealous?"

"What stup…"

"So you _are_ jealous." Her voice dropped various degrees, and she talked slowly, seductive. "But you know? You shouldn't be" The man gulped.

"Why?"

"Well, if you wanted, you would just need one sentence to… get to strip me… yourself alone."

"Which sentence" his voice sounded croaky and on the edge of control.

"I'm a stupid idiot who thinks everything I set my eyes on is exclusively mine"

"Wh… What?"

"I was worried, you know? I thought I had done something real bad, and you were only angry because I did well out on stage. Well, I'm sorry if I try to do it well and fit in a place I have only a couple of days ago arrived. I told you I was scared of people. I told you I didn't want to look weak so they could take advantage of me. And now you come here and have the nerve to be angry because I did well?" She abruptly stopped. I considered worthy the risk to take a quick look at the scene, and found it hard not to squeal with all I had.

Laxus was still trapping Aria against the wall with his huge body, but now a hand was covering her mouth, and their faces were inches apart. _Yeah, there is nothing going on here my ass. Oh-my-Mavis, the babies are going to be just_ so _lovely… And they will run around the guild all day, and teleport with lightning to the kitchen to ask me to bake them chocolate cookies and… Oh, Mavis, I need to learn how to trick them into eating vegetables… though I could just hide them in the lasagne as I did with Lisanna when she was little… And they will be called Sarah and Rick… or maybe they will go for their families' names? Oh, little Makarov will be so beautiful… and I will comb Rita's hair every day…_ I stopped daydreaming when I realized they started talking in whispers.

"Don't say anything else." Sigh "Fuck, you are more difficult than anyone I ever knew. But then you make me feel like _this_ , like I'm suddenly alive after living a dead life, and I just don't… Wait. There is someone coming"

A lightning passed in front of me, directed to the exit.

"Oh, Mira! Do you know where did the new girl go? I think we weren't introduced properly and… Mira?"

"LOKE! YOU! THE BABIES! WHO WILL EAT THOSE COOKIES NOW?"

"Eh?"

* * *

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

I felt as if my whole body had turned into nervousness as Laxus transported me with him through all Magnolia. When we finally stopped, and I recovered my corporeal body, I felt weak in the knees, and if it wasn't for the strong hands that held me, I would have collapsed in the ground.

"Here we are" He announced.

"What… happened…?"

"Are you ok?"

"I feel as if I had fallen from a thousand feet height without wind magic."

"Oh, well, at least you didn't puke. Ever was so angry with me after I first teleported her… She couldn't eat for a day. It gets better. Can you walk to the sofa?"

 _Sofa?_ I looked around, and found myself in a spacious living room, with huge windows wide opened. _Ooh, why didn't I feel the wind before? I feel awful_.

"Just give me a second…" I felt my body float in the air and looked up. Laxus was smiling, looking at me intensely, and carrying me princess style to a corner sofa I hadn't yet seen. _Now that I think about it, I haven't quite paid attention at my surroundings… Urg, I still feel the adrenaline in my veins… and not in the good way._

"It's ok, it will pass. Maybe I should bring you camomile tea?" _Don't go, keep talking. Your voice is so relaxing…_

"Uh… Yeah, maybe that would be fine" I said, instead. He laughed- _what did I miss?_ \- and stroked my hair.

"In a couple of minutes. First, I want to make sure you will still hold your food in your stomach" Said stomach grumbled "Not that it seems there is much in it anyways" He laughed freely, and it reminded me of the echo of a thunder in a storm. _I have fallen in love with that laugh…_ I thought, finding the concept amusing. He, on the other hand, stopped laughing and directed those electric blue eyes to mine.

"U-um…" Awkward moment… "I think I'm better now, thank you. So, um… this is your house?" I said, inspecting the place. It was… cozy. I don't know what I was expecting, but I found myself surprised at the warmth surrounding the place the S mage called home.

As if he had read my mind, he looked around as well and whispered "Home, sweet home" he let my eyes roam around the room for a few seconds, taking in the light orange walls, the huge TV lacrima and the shelves with books, and started talking again. "To your right, you can find the kitchen. It's pretty small, because I don't usually eat here, but… make yourself at home. If you need anything, tell me. Then, that door leads to the corridor, there are three rooms. The one in the right is my room; you can pick any other and make it yours. There's a bathroom in front of my room, oh, and another one right here" He explained in a rush, pointing to a door in my back. "So, if there is anything you need at all… Just, just tell me, ok?"

"Sure, thank you. I like your house. It's welcoming"

"Oh, um… thank you" _Woah, awkward moment, version two… Why am I so nervous? I thought I had already recovered from that trip from the guild…_ "Oh! The guild! We've left without telling no one!" I suddenly realized.

"Don't worry, I'll send a projection to let Freed know we are here."

"What about my clothing?" _My new, apparently chosen for you to like them, clothes._

"I…" He rubbed his neck "I kinda dropped them here while you were changing… They are in the corridor"

"Oh" _I forgot, I still have this ridiculous outfit on…_

"You look good on that"

"Eh?" _How did he know I was…? Doesn't matter, it's probably my imagination_.

"You suddenly looked like you were uncomfortable, and covered yourself with your arms." _He still has his hand in my arm… so warm_ "I figured out you didn't like it. You look good on that" He repeated after his explanation.

"You don't look like a guy with an eye for detail, yet you are surprisingly thorough" I earned another of those heart-stopping laughs.

"What do I look like then?"

"When I first saw you, I thought you would be the reckless, muscle-over-brains and mean kind of person" She said, bluntly. "I also thought you would be a player"

"Oh, but I _am_ all that. You can just ask anyone in the whole Fiore." He said, his trade smirk in his mouth.

"Hum… I guess they would agree with that first impression… but how many people do you actually let in?"

"What?"

"How many people get to see the confused, motion sickness, laughing Laxus? I bet not everyone in Fiore" She pointed.

"What am I going to do with you" He asked to no one, falling to the coach with a defeated sigh.

"W-wait! Laxus, no! Yo-you're too heavy! Get off me!"

"Don't wanna" he said, and started tickling my bare belly.

"LAXUS! PLEASE! AHAHAHAHA! WAIT! HAHAHA!"

* * *

"I hate you" I stated, staring at him while he moved from one place to the other, trying to cook dinner.

"Oh! Now, why would that be?" He asked, his smile obvious in his voice.

"You tickled me to death"

"Uhum" He agreed.

"You tangled my hair"

"Guilty"

"I look like crazy"

"Yep, pretty much"

"LAXUS!"

"Oh, was that ironic?" I frowned my eyebrows. "Ok, ok, don't be mad, I was just stating the truth. You should probably brush your hair. I think we are not going to be alone tonight." He said, withdrawing an insane amount of food from the fridge.

"Huh? Who's coming?"

"I kind of forgot that projection, so I'm guessing probably half of my team- if not all of them- and certainly Titania will come, if she can manage to get here. Probably Blondie will be worried about me kidnapping you as well, and wherever she goes, Natsu goes… so, we're having a circus coming home."

"Oh, that's a lot of people… I'm going to get dressed."

"Pick your room now, and you can organize the rest of your clothes in a wardrove."

"Thank you, Laxus. For everything."

"Anytime"

* * *

 **Laxus' P.O.V.**

Just as I was finishing cooking the meat, I heard the footsteps of my team. _Just on time_. Behind, I could hear Blondie, Flame Brain, and the unmistakable rattling of Erza's armour. _Exactly who I expected. I'm a genious._ They were walking in silence, and, if my teammates' accelerated heart beats were any sign, they were worried about my reaction to bringing someone else to my house. They stopped in front of the door, and, after Freed's sigh, the knob turned- _Yeah, my house has no lock. Why would I need something like that?_

"Why did you come?" I asked before I could even see them, trying to summon the most annoyed voice I could find in me.

"W-well, we were worried…" Started Blondie.

"I must protect Aria's honour" Interupted Titania with a determined gleam in her eyes, while everyone made themselves at home. _Hello? Sense of privacy rings a bell?_ _Urg, now I understand Blondie's complaints…_

"Whatever. She's not out of her room yet. I'll go see…"

"I can do that!" Blondie jumped out of her seat and took off in the direction I was looking at. _I want to do it, why don't you try to keep your partner from burning my house?_

"The door in the middle" I suggested. I didn't need any of them going through my stuff.

After she left, Freed tried to explain. "We were worried when we couldn't find you anywhere, and then Mira said you had gone home together, and they" He said, pointing the half of Team Natsu that was inspecting my living room "insisted in coming with us. We couldn't get rid of them, Natsu would always find his way back to us. I guess Dragon Slayer sense of smell is not always an advantage to us"

"Whatever. I hope you have eaten, because I'm not going to cook for any of you."

"Yeah, I bet you only do that to Aria" Laughed Natsu. I sent him a killing stare. _What the hell was that, brat?_

"I'm just not used to be kind to people barging into my house" I counterattacked.

" _Aria? Come on, we are all here_ " I heard Lucy when everyone went silent.

" _I can't go out like this. Why did you convince me of wearing this?"_

 _"Well, you said you didn't have a set style of clothing… So we found something that would look good on you!"_

 _"But I will be with you guys for years! I won't hear the end of this if I let everyone see me in this…"_

 _"Ooh, aren't you a shy one? Listen, it's ok. Erza's armours are a lot more revealing than this, and you just have to look at my clothing! Come on, don't be shy. Let's show them who has a good body!"_

 _"But-"_

 _"If you don't go out in the next five seconds, I'll make you wear my swimsuit for a week"_ She threatened.

After a cuter-than-it-should shriek, I heard a door unlock, and she came out. After her dance, we all knew she had a nice body- _more than just nice_ -, but watching her in a top and shorts, a bit looser than Blondie's but just as revealing, was a heavy blow to my brain. She was in my house, after all, and with that shy façade I had gotten to recognise as when she is not comfortable. She was simply maddening.

I don't know how long was I staring at her body, or if it was that my mouth was hanging open, but something caused Titania to interfere with my thoughts.

"It looks like I did well in coming here. Aria, you have nothing to worry about, I will protect your honour with my life."

"Huh?" Confusion broke through her timidity at the scarlet-haired woman.

"Fear not, now that I'm here, I won't let this brute come near you." She said, hugging my Girl in a vicious grip. "This is what friends are for"

"Erza, you're going to kill her" Suggested Natsu, while I fought with myself not to growl. _Seriously, WHAT is wrong with me?! It's just a girl, for Mavis' sake, get a hold of yourself already!_

"Oh!" She let Aria go, and I smiled as I saw her getting a little closer to me unconsciously. _Stop it NOW, Laxus. Cool down. We don't want anything happening with the brats here… or we could face Mira's matchmaking wrath._

"Erza, I'm not going to do anything to her, and you are NOT staying here for the night. I'm not planning on doing anything funny." I assured. _I'll try… but who the hell knows what will happen with me acting like the Lion Cub…_

"He just wishes he could. I bet when he is in his bed…"

"NATSU!" Shouted Freed, outraged. _Seriously, what is wrong with him? He is supposed to be the oblivious one, and still…_ "Laxus is not like that."

"Sure" He said, with a sheepish smile. "I'm hungry"

"Well, I think now that you've checked on us, and there is nothing wrong, you should head home." I suggested, praying to have my privacy back. When everyone remained quiet and _not moving towards the door_ , I let my anger fuel a bit of lightning leak through the room.

As fast as lightning, they all said their goodbyes, and finally went out of my apartment.

"Oh! Aria, Loke said he wanted to introduce himself, I will make sure you meet him next time. He had to go back to the spirit world shortly after he saw you dancing- wonder what happened?- but next time, you'll meet my friend for sure!" Blondie shouted from the stairs

"Ok! Bye, Lucy! Everyone!" She said, as I closed my door and sighed.

"Let's have dinner"

"Yay! I'm hungry… It's been an exhaustive day"

"Exhaustive…? Who says that anyways?" I mumbled, as I went to the kitchen for the food. I heard giggles behind me and smiled. _I could get used to this._

* * *

"You're a good cook" She stated.

"Oh, come on, that will not do!" We were in my coach, after dinner, when a thought came to my mind. She said I was nothing like what she thought I would be, so I asked her what other things she expected me to be.

"But it does to me! I thought you lived on pasta" She mused.

"Pasta? If I were to eat pasta for the rest of my life, I wouldn't last long"

"Ok, ok, so… let me think of another one for a second. I've mentioned most of them already…" I smiled expectant, while she took her hand to her mouth in a thoughtful expression. "You get distracted easily"

"That is a lie!" I blurted out.

"No, it's not! Remember the Wyvern?"

"Ok, then I got distracted _once_. Big issue."

" _Or_ our fight? I'm sure you could have dodged that last attack if you had your mind on it"

"Are you implying that I could beat you if I wanted? Then why wouldn't I want?" _Ok, wrong question, DON'T answer that._ I begged to myself.

"I have this theory…" She started.

"Theory? You just sounded like Freed"

"Oh, come on, you make it sound as if there was something wrong. He seems like a really nice guy"

"Hm" A tsunami of jealousy drowned me in a second.

"Anyways, I'm not going to answer that question. Not until I am sure of my answer" She said, in a strange tone of voice. I looked at her with the question in my eyes. _If you touch her, maybe you could hear what she thinks? Maybe find enough proof to slaughter Freed while you're there?_ My inner dragon suggested.

Just as I was about to touch her arm- without any excuse at all to explain why- she got up from the coach and yawned.

"I'm getting tired… after all that food, and everything we did today, I can't keep my eyes opened anymore" She said, with her eyes really closed.

"Huh?" I brilliantly said while my mind focused on reality. _Oh, this is what she ment when she said I should concentrate more… well, that's not me, that's just what_ she _does to me_. "Yeah, it's getting late anyways"

"Ok, then… I'll… go to the room?" I nodded "Oh, Bickslow mentioned I could have one of your T-shirts as a replacement for pyjamas? I forgot to buy them, and he said you didn't mind…"

"When did he…? Yeah, make yourself like home" _This is going to be a hell of a night._

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter is over! Sorry, it took a while...**

 **So many moments between Laxus and my OC... finally alone! The relationship is developing! We should partly thank Bickslow for that... He is closer to Laxus, so his witty plans work better than the Dragon Slayers'!**

 **Gajeel: Yeah, we haven't yet gotten started. Smile while you can with Bickslow, we will make your stomachs hurt with how much you laugh!**

 **A/N: Anyways, tell me what you thought of this, and anything you want to comment! I'll be waiting for your opinion! :D**

 **I want to thank kurahieiritr JIO for all his support and advices on this chapter, it's gotten way better thanks to him!**


	12. The Raijinshuu

**Chapter 12: The Raijinshuu**

 **Laxus' P.O.V.**

I woke up to the smell of apples, ozone and jasmine.

It was one of the most subtle and fresh scents I've ever smelt in my life, and it brought my sleepy mind equal feelings of peace and jitters.

Why was I smelling _her_ this early in the morning?

When my mind registered the fact that my body was strained from sleep, and I needed to move from my bed, I also realized that there was something heavy in my chest, keeping me from stretching. Soft. Warm. _Breathing_.

It took me a couple more of seconds to join the feelings to the fact that there was someone close to me. And not only close, but actually on top of me. _Freed?_ I thought, remembering the times we went on missions and slept close together outdoors.

Still drowsy, I opened my eyes to find a beautiful shade of copper hair. _What…?_

* * *

 **Flashback**

"AAAAH!" I woke up to the chilling sound of her terror-filled scream. I used my lighting form to get to her room in a second.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" I said, while looking for any threats. After I was sure the room was safe, I looked at her, to find her brown-yellowish eyes shiny with tears.

"I-I…" Her broken voice took the air out of my lungs, more so than an accurate punch would.

I tried to put my gentlest smile in my face and sat next to her. "It's ok. I'm here with you. You are safe" I whispered, fully aware that she would hear me.

"A nightmare…"

"It's ok. It wasn't real"

She stood there, in silence, looking at me with an absent look in her electrifying eyes, while I reassured her again and again that whatever terrified her could not reach her.

"Can I…" She started when she calmed down a little, only to stop and bite her lip.

"What" I demanded

"Can I… sleep next to you?" her voice sounded so scared, fragile, much like a little girl asking her parents not to be left alone in the dark.

I simply reached for her and carried her, once again princess style, back to my room. I put her in my queen sized bed, wondering at how small she looked curled and trembling against my pillow, and laid next to her, covering both of us with the sheet. She cuddled against me, hiding her face in my chest, and I asked myself how, for the first time, I could touch her without hearing her thoughts.

I looked at the clock. It was 2 a.m., and I could still feel how her soft body trembled against me, no thoughts whatsoever. It took a few more long, silent minutes, until I started hearing her thoughts again. But the relief I felt from this lasted little.

All of a sudden, I felt her fear, threatening to stop my heart with its intensity.

All of a sudden, I felt her anguish, itching in my eyes.

And, seconds before she went to sleep, I caught a glimpse of the scene that caused her dread, flashing through my eyes as if I was somewhere else. Someone else.

 ** _Darkness. Cold. Pain._**

 ** _A swishing sound followed by the echo of a hit, followed by acute pain._**

 ** _Being trapped, chained. No chance to escape._**

 ** _And his face, smiling._**

I knew I hadn't seen that face, or met that person, ever; but the intense feeling of hatred and adoration that was associated to his face made me doubt my own memory.

Thinking about it over and over again, I came to the conclusion that I hadn't lost the ability to listen to her thoughts, but rather she had found a way to stop thinking at all. And I wished I could do the same, but knew for sure that her thoughts, his face and the confusing feelings that came with him, would haunt me in my dreams for many dark, restless nights.

I laid in my bed holding her small frame, thinking I would be unable to sleep again, while fear loosened his grip on her, breathing became even, and her incoherent thoughts that came from her dreams took a more harmless direction.

It took me another hour, but, when I was finally sure she wouldn't have that nightmare again, I allowed her sweet, disjointed dreams to lull me to sleep.

 **End of flashback**

* * *

I tightened my hold of her, fully aware now of the motif she was sleeping next to me. _I was expecting a sweeter reason she was… Whatever_. I stopped my own thoughts before they went too far, and concentrated on the thoughts and images coming from the Girl beside me.

 ** _A boat in the sea_**. Swaying at my breathing's rhythm.

 ** _Trees growing from the_** _ **sea**_ _._ My own smell of wood, I realized in amusement, was transformed by her unconsciousness into woods in the sea.

 ** _Cotton candy_** _._ The leafs were made of green cotton candy. _I wonder where that is coming from…_

I smiled with the thought that, even in her dreams, she was conscious of me. Even though her dreams made no sense at all.

And, perhaps a little too late, I realized she was wearing my T-shirt. _Only_ my T-shirt. It was big enough to look like a short dress- a _too short dress_ \- but allowed full leg-to-leg contact. And I was only wearing my boxers.

A complaining, husky growl made its way through my chest, taking the form of a huge lightning caressing her cheek in her dreams. _Life is so unfair._

* * *

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

I woke up feeling the warmth. _So cozy…_

My pillow trembled under me, and the sound of laughs flowed to my ears.

"You're the first person to call me _cozy_ , Girl" I felt Laxus' words. And then I realized. _He_ was the pillow.

"Oh!" I tried to put as much distance between us as I could, but his arm over my waist didn't allow me to move an inch.

"Woah, there… it's too early to juggle."

 _I wish we had stayed long enough to see_ you _juggle_. I thought.

"Have you been awoken for long?" I said instead, as my mind recalled last night's events to understand why I was sleeping in the same bed as the self-proclaimed-player Laxus Dreyar.

"Just a couple minutes"

"O-ok… Um... Would you let me go?"

"Uh? Oh!" I saw his embarrassment in his eyes the second he realized _he_ was the one holding me close. _He didn't notice… that was kind of cute_ "S-so… breakfast?"

"Sure"

* * *

After breakfast and a quick shower, we made our way to the guild together. Wehad been talking about anything and everything, but once the big doors came into view, the current topic- _which is, from our point of view, the strongest element of nature?-_ died.

I looked at the huge building again, and realized how much everything changed for me since I came for the first time through those doors. The wind had been right, this was the perfect place to start over again.

"You can sit with us" He casually offered, just before pushing the doors open.

"Welcome back!" Greeted immediately the white-haired bartender- whose name I completely forgot.

"Hey, Mira! A beer?" _Mira! Lucky me_. _Maybe I_ _should write a list of everyone's names..._

"Sure! And for your girl?"

"She's not…" He started, in an oddly insecure tone of voice.

"I'm not her girl. We are not dating. There is nothing going on between us" I offered, remembering warnings about some Demon Mira's matchmaking.

"Oh, sorry about that!" An evil glint shone in her eyes, and I gulped in fear. Then the air supplied me some of the words she started muttering. _…make sure… those babies… with cookies!...will buy a blue ribbon…_

"Hey, Aria!" I heard the man in the helmet say from Laxus' table. "See you left that top home! You could have brought it though, I'm sure Lax…" His strange smile was cut out when his leader looked at him with pretended boredom. The silent threat hung in the air, more dangerous than a sharp blade.

I had decided to bring a loose t-shirt instead of yesterday's Lucy-like top, and an elbow-length coat, so I could go on a mission. It certainly covered more than that small piece of cloth. _Next time I'll make sure Lucy doesn't pick clothes for me… but she has a good taste in shoes!_ I thought, looking at my boots.

"I'm sure Laxus is ok with her shorts anyways" A husky voice sounded from a dark corner. I looked at thee raven-haired, pierced from head to toes mage. His name, I forgot again, but I was sure he was with us yesterday on the train.

"Oh! You are the one who said you didn't like me!" My mouth shouted, completely disconnected from my brain.

"Gihihi. That's right. I think we started off with the wrong foot." He walked towards me and offered his hand. "Gajeel. Iron Dragon Slayer. Let me buy you a drink and we get to know each other?" I wasn't really sure if that was a question, a suggestion or an order, but his piercing red eyes weren't nearly as intimidating as the people I was used to deal with, so I shook his hand with a bright smile, and was about to decline his offer, when I was interrupted.

"Excuse me, Gajeel, but miss Aria has already promised us she would spend the day with us" It was the polite, green-haired mage, I didn't even need to turn around to check. Anyone else talked like that in this guild- or, at least, none that I had yet met.

"Y-yes! I'm sorry, Gajeel, but a promise is a promise, right?" Just as I was letting out a sight of relief, I felt a huge weight on my back and tanned arms were wrapped around me in the blink of an eye, throwing me to the ground.

"Hey, Arna! I was so rude yesterday, I thought we could go on a mission together and make amenities?"

"He means amends" Lucy's voice explained. "And Natsu, her name is Aria, not Arna"

"Uups!" He exclaimed, letting me go of his deathly hug.

"Gosh, you are so stupid sometimes…" Sighed a voice behind Lucy.

"What did you say, Ice Prick?" _Ice prick?_

"Something your stupid brain wouldn't understand, Fire Breath!" _Fire... breath? That sounds... childish..._

Lucy helped me up and we made our way towards the bar.

"And here they start again… I don't know what to do with them, but I love them anyways." She said, with a lovely smile on her face

"You guys seem really close. That smile can not be faked." I observed.

"Yeah, we are teammates and family! The strongest team in Fiore!" She exclaimed, with her fist in the air.

"Excuse me, miss Lucy, but I would dare say that, with miss Aria in the Raijinshuu team, we could be the strongest."

"Freed! You scared me, don't appear from behind like that!"

"Excuse me, but I would like to escort miss Aria to our table. Preferably without any table knocking her unconscious."

"Wh-what?! Does that happen often?!" I exclaimed, unaware of the danger surrounding me. Their concerned looks were more than enough answer for me. "That's… hazardous. Well, good bye, Lucy. See you around?"

"Yeah, sure! I'll be in that table over there… wait, no, it's been burnt. I think I'll be here at the bar for the rest of the day."

"So, Freed, what did you want to talk about?" I asked once we were alone.

"Oh! I wanted you to sit with the Raijinshuu. Laxus isn't feeling very well…"

"Oh, really? When I saw him he seemed just fine…"

"Well… it's the second glass mug he breaks in the few minutes he's been here… and then he started mumbling something about murdering iron bastards and fire… well, I won't say that word in front of a proper lady like yourself. So, changing the topic!" He suddenly exclaimed, with renewed energy. "I was investigating what you said about sealed power and… would it be possible for me to see you unleash all your potential?" He asked, his eyes shiny like a kid with a new toy's.

"O-oh, well… unleashing that power has certain… consequences to deal with… and I'm not sure the price to pay is that worth it…" I tried to explain.

"What do you mean?" His brow was frown with concern.

"I… can't say anything else. Sorry, Freed."

"Oh, it's ok…" He let out a disappointed sigh, just when we arrived to the table.

"What if you come with us on a mission?" Suggested Bickslow "Would you be able to unleash it then?"

"Um… probably… not, but…"

"Come anyways" Offered Laxus, while making space for me to sit next to him.

"I heard you were not feeling good?"

"It was momentary. What do you say? Do you want to join Fairy Tail's second strongest team? We would be in first position with you"

"I have nothing against it, but… Do you all agree?"

"I would be pleased to see your fighting skills." Said Freed.

"Yeah, it would be nice having your bod…" his helmet shivered as if he had been shocked. "Aw, man! What was that for?"

"Ever will love having another girl in the team. She's on a date now." Laxus explained, ignoring Bickslow's complaints.

"Laxus! To my office, now!" The tiny master's voice boomed from his office's door, immediately stopping the brawl from the first floor.

"Gotta go. Take care of my Girl" He said, before teleporting himself with lightning.

"Did he just say…" Started Freed

" _My_ Girl?" Finished Bickslow, bursting out laughing.

* * *

 **Makarov's P.O.V.**

I looked at my grandson while he closed the door.

"Gramps?! What happened with the desk?" He said, eyeing suspiciously the broken in half table.

"Don't care about the furniture. Listen. I've just received a call from the Council. I need you to go to Oshibana Town with Team Raijinshuu, you'll be out for a week."

"A mission?" He seemed surprised.

"Where is that reaction coming from?!"

"Oh, nothing. It's been a while since you asked us to go on a job, that's all."

"This job fits the Raijinshuu very well, and I need it to be done discreetly. So, will you take it?"

"First I'll talk to them, then I'll give you an answer" _Grandson… you've grown into such a respectable and caring leader… Sniff…_ "Oi, Gramps, why are you crying all of a sudden?!"

"N-nothing, brat. Give me an answer as soon as possible, I need this to be done quickly. Here are all the details" I handed him the paper with the information.

"Sure. Oh, yeah, I wanted to tell you… You know this girl Aria? The new member, she's agreed to join the team."

"WHAAAAT?"

"Where is that reaction coming from?!" He said, imitating my previous reaction.

"W-well, you know almost nothing about her, and… are you sure she fits your team? You already are perfectly balanced, I wouldn't want to…"

"Gramps" He said, interrupting my rambling excuses "You accepted her as a member of Fairy Tail. She could easily be a S mage. Is there a reason why you suddenly don't want me to befriend a member? Isn't it what you are always trying to tell me, that I should be more in touch with my Fairy Tail family?"

"Y-yes but…" _I wanted to make sure first that she has actually lost her memories and is not dangerous any more… I don't want to have another…_

"Whatever" He said, storming out of the room and interrupting my thoughts.

"Let me say it…" First Master's sweet voice appeared behind me. "I told you so"

"Shut up"

* * *

 **Freed's P.O.V.**

I saw Laxus storming out of Master's office in a worse mood than when he left.

"We're going on a one week mission, NOW." He ordered, not bothering to look at any of us. "We'll see how the new member copes with us."

"Laxus, is something the matter?" I asked, worried about his brusque change of mood.

"All good, now someone contact Ever and start packing."

"I think… Ever is about to come." Aria said. I looked at her surprised. _How can she know if Ever…_ I had my mouth open to ask her about it, when the guild's doors opened to reveal the self-proclaimed Fairy Queen herself. _Now that's interesting… I wonder what else she can do…_ I looked at the air mage. _I'm really intrigued… I've never heard of anyone with sealed power that uses a song to unleash it… and then Laxus' reactions… I NEED to know what is going on here._ I looked at the blond God at my right, to find him staring at me with anger in his eyes. _Ooh, did he see me staring at her? I swear, Laxus, it's nothing like that! I would never betray you like that!_ I needed to find a moment to explain him that my interest in the girl was merely academic… maybe suggest that I had a girlfriend myself- against all expectations. I had intended to keep my relationship with Mira as a secret, but I wasn't planning on loosing my best friend in the attempt. I looked at the bar and caught her looking at me. She quickly turned her head around and blushed. _She's just the perfect combination of angel and demon…_

"Hey, what's up?" Ever said once she arrived to our table.

"Laxus said we had a mission" Bickslow commented.

"Oh! That's good! For how long?"

"A week"

"Great! Count me in! It's been a while and I was starting to feel kind of trapped."

"Aria is coming with us"

"Oooh! Really?!" She squealed, turning her attention to the girl. "We're going to be the best of friends, you'll see. Oh, and we can sleep together! No more sleeping alone for me! Yay!"

"What is it that they need from us?" I asked.

"Um…" Laxus read the paper. _You should have read it before accepting…_ "It says here we have to take care of some lizardmen that are causing trouble in Oshibana. Lair unknown. A nice reward" He said, raising a brow. "Freed, there might be more to it than it says here, I'm counting on you to figure out what."

"Of course, Laxus. When are we departing?"

"How about in two hours?"

"Great!"

"Of course!"

"See you then!"

And with that, the Raijinshuu took off to prepare for a new adventure. _I always wanted to say that_.

* * *

 **A/N: A mission with the Raijinshuu! This is going to be fun... Let's hope Bickslow behaves! (Well, maybe his concept of behaving is quite different than ours'... hehehe...)**

 **Laxus is starting to be jealous of his best friend... How will this end? You'll see in chapter 13!**

 **You probably know this already, but I appreciate reviews. A lot. And** **preferably with your sincere opinion on the chapter. So, you know what to do!**

 **Thank everyone for the support, reviews and follows I'm getting, I'm really happy! :D**


	13. Anemoi

**Chapter 13: Anemoi**

 **Laxus' P.O.V.**

I stared at the man sent from the council, who was now talking to Freed, and smirked when he shivered under my gaze. _They keep scolding Gramps for destruction, but whenever they have a problem they come to Fairy Tail. Tch._

"Laxus…" I heard her whispering my name and all my previous bad mood dissipated into thin air. "Can we look for a scythe later? If we are going to look for lizardmen, I want one." Who would have thought the little girl by my side would be such a capable warrior. And with such an strange choice of weapon.

"Sure. After this tale-teller finishes his blabbering, we can visit the town" I said, loud enough for him to hear me. He shivered. _Good_.

Sure enough, after hearing me, he started talking faster and faster and was out of our sight in a few minutes.

"Aria wants to look for weapons. Anyone in?"

"I would like to talk to a few civilians first, see what I can find" Said Freed.

"I lost at rock paper scissors, so I have to do the check in and stuff" Complaint Bickslow.

"That leaves the three of us! Let's go shopping!" Ever squealed, delighted

"Ever, we are not…"

"Let's go, let's go!" I sighed. This would probably end in me carrying bags and being carried from shop to shop.

* * *

As I predicted, after Aria found a light, thin scythe, Ever started dragging us to clothes stores, one after the other, and I was left to carry all the purchases. Luckily, we had arrived quite late in the afternoon, so soon it was closing time and I was spared.

We headed to the inn in which we were supposed to stay and Bickslow immediately gave Ever and I two keys. Needless to say, she hadn't stopped talking all the way down there about how excited she was not to sleep alone again.

Then, it was time for Freed to give us his ever-precise notes and information he gathered, so we could study it that night and be ready for the mission the following day.

It was pretty much an ordinary day. But, even if I had a hard time admitting it, something was different. _I_ was different.

I felt lighter, released from a weight I didn't know I was carrying, and somehow… happier. My usual anger was replaced with calmness, and I didn't know what to do with it. But, again, I didn't care anymore about not knowing what was going on.

I had spent three days, a misery, with Aria, and I was sure she was meant to be for me. Not as if I were in love- _I'm Laxus Dreyar, for Mavis' sake!_ \- but I knew I cared in a different way for her. It was a bit of a surprise to find myself watching out for the petite air mage while the shop assistant was bluntly hitting on me. Admittedly, she wasn't the hottest girl I'd ever seen, and the girl I had an eye on wasn't bad herself- but, again, _I'm Laxus Dreyar, for Mavis' sake_. If I hadn't gotten an offer for spending the night with a girl that day, then I would receive a call. Or both. Relationships were a whole different league.

And yet, all of that seemed to have vanished in favour of this strange peace that I had always secretly craved.

But of course, not everything was advantages. Feeling jealous of your very best friend sucked. And worse than that, _feeling guilty_ for it was even worse. On our way to Oshibana, Freed had taken a moment to explain me, alone, that he was in no way interested in the Girl. I had been having that annoying feeling from the moment she said she thought of him as smart and nice, back at my place. And then I caught him staring at her, and… well, luckily enough, that issue was already solved. But still, jealousy appeared to be continuous around her- _and sometimes without her around_. And I knew the reason.

I hadn't made a move- _me, Laxus Dreyar, for the third time_ \- with the Girl in the days I'd known her. I couldn't almost recognize myself. _But you like it_ , thought my inner me. _If girls and inner peace are all that changes, I think I can still be me_.

And, with that thought, Morpehus claimed me.

* * *

"I swear to Mavis, if you call me Girl again I'm knocking you unconscious" Aria threatened.

"Woah! And that's how a true Fairy Tail member speaks!" Bickslow commented. "You should have seen him whimpering about you not being with him, maybe then you would forgive him"

"Bickslow…" I said, threatening.

It was the third day of the mission, and it had been much like the second so far. The Girl was quickly integrated in our little family, and we had spent both days in the woods, looking for the beasts' lair, with Bickslow's occasional "jokes"-that WEREN'T funny at all, Freed looking again and again at the map, Ever talking about girls' stuff and me trying to find the lizardmen's smell. She, on the other hand, was getting used to Fairy Tail's manners surprisingly quickly, and had already earned the group's affection. The only one seemingly reluctant to fully trust her was Freed, but I knew better: he was just frustrated because his thirst for knowledge wasn't satiated.

"Hey, Lax, you know you would prefer sleeping with her than with us!"

"Bicks, anyone would prefer sleeping with her than you!" laughed Ever.

"I still think you need to find a new nickname" she muttered.

Behind me, Freed sighed. "Maybe it's for the best if we give up of the day. I'll look through the map again and think of a new strategy."

"If the mission is just about tracking the lizardmen and making sure they won't be a nuisance anymore, why are we not finishing it already?" Asked Ever, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Yeah, Laxus would normally smell them at kilometres from where they are staying. Why can't we find them?" Complaint Bickslow

"You are right, there has to be some kind of magic here" Agreed Freed. He adopted that annoying position that meant _I'm thinking, don't disturb me._

"There is no magic. I would feel it in the air vibes." Explained Aria.

"Then, how is this possible?"

"We have been basing our theory in Laxus' incapability to smell them… but what if there was a natural reason for that?" Asked Freed out of the blue.

"Huh? How could that be?" It was the first time I'd heard of something like that.

"Their lair should be drowned in their scent, and henceforth, you should smell it from afar. But what if they were hiding in a cave, that is naturally formed so that smell doesn't leak out? With the right shape, that could be scientifically possible."

"Then we're looking for a cave?"

"That would be a possible solution to the enigma."

"Freed, if we are looking for a cave with an specific form, could you tell me how it should look like? I could try finding it with the wind."

"Aria, your powers are one of the most fascinating riddles I've ever come across"

And with that, both of them started discussing about physics and shapes and most boring stuff, so I just looked at her, marvelling at the subtle expressions in her face with Freed's explanations. I realized, when she is thinking hard, she would get a tiny wrinkle between her eyebrows, and open her eyes slightly when she came to a conclusion.

"Okay, then, let me find it." She sat in the grass in a meditation position and held her breath. We felt a light airflow coming from her figure, and waited, feeling both awe and thrill. It was truly unusual, how she could interact with her element.

Minutes passed, and she just stood there, eyes closed, breath held, and with that tiny wrinkle between her brows.

"Oi, oi, is she going to die?" Bickslow said in an unusual soft voice.

"She controls the air, idiot, how could she ever die from lack of air?" Ever's voice sounded as concerned as we all felt.

"Oh, right…"

"I've got it." Her voice was huskier than normal, and it had a strange vibration, but it was definitely her voice. As to confirm it was her who spoke, she opened her eyes and started breathing again. On cue, we all let go a sigh we didn't know we were holding. "Freed, your map isn't exact. Here." She started redrawing the map, with tiny corrections here and there. "The cave is a little bit further than we anticipated, but I'm sure it's the one we are looking for."

"How did you do it? How does it work?" Freed exclaimed, his eyes shiny.

"Oh, um… you know when you throw something in the water, and little waves start to form, similar to a ring?" He sweat dropped at the explanation but didn't say a word to correct her. _So that's how much you want to know about her powers, Freed? Holding smart ass corrections..._ "I do something similar, and feel everything that the air comes across. I don't know how to explain it better, I haven't ever given it much thought. It felt natural." She shrugged.

"Well, less learning and more beating! Let's go to that cave!" Bickslow exclaimed. "We can go get the reward after we finish, and in half the time! Wonder if they will take that into account" He said, as he walked happily towards the woods.

"Um… Bicks?"

"Yeah?"

"You're walking in the wrong direction"

"Oops! I wanted to check if you were alert. Good job" He said, and started walking in the opposite direction with his signature grin.

* * *

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

I guided them to the cave Freed had described so accurately. It took us more than an hour to get there, and, considering we had been wandering around the woods all day long, it wasn't surprising to see that we were all tired. The rock wall we had in front of us blocked the few reddish sunbeams that dared crossing the air at this time of the day, giving a chilling appearance to the already dark place.

"Well, let's kick some asses!"

"Shall we?"

We all came inside the cave, Freed's magic lantern illuminating the path for us.

"Oh, great, it's a labyrinth." Laxus grumbled.

"It's this way" I offered. The air flowed through the passageways in very different ways and patterns, so, for me, walking around those corridors was easier than having maps and colour lights illuminating the path. I guided them in silence to the place where air was hotter- where torches were heating the air and creating artificial currents.

"Okay, stop. See that intersection there? If we turn right, we will find fifteen lizardmen. They don't look specially tough, they are smaller than Laxus" He smirked. "If we turn left, we will find the leader and ten more. The leader looks… huge"

We all looked at each other. "Aria and I are going to take down the leader and the others. You can manage with fifteen of them?"

"Leave it to us"

And, with that, we split to finish the mission.

* * *

"Aarg…" I heard Laxus' grunt behind me. We had been fighting, and losing, for a couple of minutes now. We couldn't afford any more hits.

"Damned geckos" He muttered. We weren't expecting them to have the ability to copy our powers, so we had been fighting thunder and air, while exhausted from waisting our energy wandering around the forest all day long. And we were losing.

"We're not geckos…" I heard, followed by a powerful lightning that shook me from my head to my feet.

"AAARG"

"Fuck" I thought I heard Laxus curse. He touched my arm and absorbed the lightning, receiving from another lizard mutant a blast of wind that cut his already torn shirt and opened yet another wound.

"L-laxus…"

"We can't be defeated like this" He growled, stubbornly.

"The Raijinshuu are in the same situation!" I told him, feeling them fighting in the cave below us. "Listen, I have a plan."

"We don't have… time to waist then"

"LAXUS DREYAR!" He looked at me, surprised, and I deflected a wind blaze coming in our direction with my new scythe. "We don't have the energy to defeat them all. But I need you to listen to me."

"Always" I felt relief through the concern that was drowning me. I knew what I had to do, but that didn't make it easier.

"I need you to cast all your energy towards the wall over there… You need to break that stone!"

"What the hell, Girl…" He wondered, doing as I instructed. My eyes tickled from the unshed tears that came from the relief of seeing someone believed in me. And not someone, but _him_ of all people.

The huge concentration of energy collided against the wall, creating a huge hole. The night sky could now be seen, and the revitalising wind caressed my skin as greeting.

"Do you think you have enough energy to teleport us outside?"

"Please, you are talking to the Thunder God... I could take you to the moon and back… A couple metres are nothing."

I felt nervousness take over me, and in a second we were outside. I took a deep breath, and felt his breathing hard from exhaustion. He wouldn't last much longer.

"And to think the Great Laxus Dreyar is going to pass out in the best part…"

"Who did you say was… going to pass out?" He breathed out. My scythe fell to the ground.

"You can't stand what follows." And I did what I had to do. I started singing the verses that were engraved to my mind.

 **I'm the dancer in the clouds; I'm the caress of the wind.**

I felt the air gathering around me, tickling my skin, welcoming.

 **I command with all my might; for the contract we both signed,**

The magical pressure grew, and my senses heightened. I felt Laxus falling to the ground from the pressure. _I knew you didn't have enough strength after that fight. I wouldn't, either._

 **to access now to all your flair, as we both linked our minds.**

My whole body tingled with the amount of power that I was gathering. In front of me, my enemies stopped moving. I felt every inch of their skin through my link with the air.

 **I have complied with my part, so that now you can't rescind.**

I knew, behind me, my hair had grown larger, and my skin should be tanner. Secondary effects of being linked to an entity that had been exposed to every sunbeam that the sun had sent to our world for centuries.

 **You and me, we are both one. Come to me as we are twinned.**

I didn't need to breath, for now I was the air itself. I felt intangible and too palpable at the same time, and I was suddenly conscious of everything around me, as if my skin was touching everything the air was in contact with. It was always confusing, merging my body to an airy entity.

 **ANEMOI!**

I shouted the last part, unable to wait one more second to feel my wings behind me, now that I was so close to them. When the last sound escaped my mouth, my true form was revealed, and I only felt relief. I would worry about the consequences later. I had a fight to win.

* * *

 **A/N: Woah! This is a shorter chapter than the previous ones, but finally we have one enigma solved! Aria's true power is finally unleashed! What catastrophic consequences will this have? You'll see in future chapters!**

 **I skipped part of the fight, because I don't feel very confident with them, and usually take a lot to write them, but tell me if you want me to work on it! I'll inform you when it's updated if you want me to write it.**

 **Once again, I appreciate a lot your reviews, so I want to thank the people who wrote reviews previously, it encourages me to write more, and help me to become a better writer! And I want to encourage you to write what you thought of this! Thank you :D**

 ***ANEMOI is the name for the greek wind gods, each one associated with a season, a weather...**


	14. Mate

**Chapter 14: Mate**

 **Laxos' P.O.V.**

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. An angel. Pure light. It was… kindness shaped into _her_. Her soft silhouette, her long, beautiful hair, and those cloud-like wings glowing from behind her… She was beyond beautiful. There were no human words to describe such a goddess.

And yet, her face remained a mystery to my dizzy mind.

I was sure as hell that I had seen her face- I still remembered everything else about her- but lacking that small detail annoyed me to no end. So much that it awoke me, taking me out of that space in my mind in which _she_ was already etched as one of the most valuable treasures to my inner me. _A dream?_

And, once again, I awoke to the sweet smell of apples, ozone and jasmine. For a second, those memories filled with light and deity tried to lull me back to sleep, but her smell, and the increasing feeling of having her so close to me, made sure I didn't fall back into Morpheus' arms.

But she wasn't close enough. My arm moved by itself to bring her even closer, to protect her, before I was fully awoken. And when I finally opened my eyes, I found myself lying in the ground, exhausted, with her using my chest as a pillow. Her cheeks were pink, and her face was pure innocence. I couldn't help but think how cute she looked like that.

She was like an angel.

And thinking about angels… I hadn't smelled anything out of place, anyone else's smell apart from Aria's, the lizardmen's and my own. So, where was that angel I had seen before passing out?

 _Arg… Passing out again… This is shameful. I can't believe I blacked out in a mission again… Wait, THE MISSION!_ I looked again around me, and found all the lizardmen in the ground, with no signs of moving anytime soon. _This girl… Did she really take them all out? She's truly out of the ordinary… But, who the hell is she?_

She moved her head against my chest, reminding me of a cat settling in a place to sleep, and let out a sight of pure happiness, letting her mouth open.

"Don't stare at her with such impure thoughts, Laxus" Bickslow's voice took me out of my daydreaming.

"S-shut up. I wasn't doing anything. What the hell's happened?"

"That, I would like to know. We were being outnumbered, when suddenly we all passed out. None of us remembers a thing. I take it as you don't remember anything, either?" Freed explained.

"I… remember taking her outside… We were having quite a hard time there. Those fucking monsters… Just wait until they awake… they are going to regret-"

"There is no use. They are all dead" Evergreen spoke.

"Dead?"

"They all have the same small cuts everywhere, and not a single drop of blood left."

 _No blood…_

"Anyways, we should get out of here. You know, tell Master the job is done, go to a nice hotel and have some beers… maybe something stronger to celebrate not being eaten by those reptiles?" Bickslow suggested.

"Yeah…" I shook Aria with more gentleness that I would ever recognize. "Oi… Girl… Wake up" But she didn't move. Dread shook me like a lightning. "OI! WAKE UP!"

"Wait, Laxus! Relax. I think she's exhausted." Surprisingly, it was Bickslow who tried to reason with my furious self.

"Yeah, much like everyone else. ARIA!"

"No, I mean exhausted as in _hey, I've used way more magic than I should and I'm not waking up until I recover_ exhausted. She's out of energy, man. Let her sleep. Even her soul is not as bright."

"So? What do I do?"

"Not panicking, to start with." I shut up. I realized I wasn't acting like myself- _again_. _Love is all fucked up. Wait… Love?! I seriously must have gotten hit in the head. Keep your cool, Thunder God_. I thought to myself, fighting the heat that tried to pink my cheeks. _This is so… Urg_.

"I could contact Wendy, see if she could heal her a bit or something." Offered Evergreen. _She truly is amazing, making Ever worry like that in such a short amount of time._ _But, don't ever think about that four-letter word again!_

"Nah, I think Laxus is more than capable of looking after her, right, loverboy?" I swear the guy must be somehow masochist, or I can't explain how he gets shocked everyday and still don't learn his lesson.

* * *

"So…" _How can I say this without looking like a moron…_ "You remember anything before blacking out?" _A light? An angel? A goddess?_

"Uh… not much, really. The last seconds are a more of a blur than an actual memory." Tried to explain Bicks

"It feels just like Reedus' paintings when they have been watered" Offered Ever.

"Why would you ask, Laxus?"

"Uh, no reason. Trying to understand what happened. Maybe she remembers more." I said, looking at the unconscious girl I was carrying. I hadn't said so, but I was glad to have an excuse to have skin-to-skin touch, and thus, to be able to peek into her dreams, what was actually more interesting than I would have ever thought. _But I feel like a stalker. Even though I do this for her. Yes! I need to make sure she is just dreaming peacefully._ _I'm not taking advantage of listening to her thoughts! Hahahaha…_ _Urg, I'm so pathetic. How can she do this to me and still make me feel like I shouldn't care?! I don't like not knowing what is going on_.

And we kept walking in silence through the forest, while I watched her dreams. The angel issue would have to wait until she was awoken.

* * *

"Hey, man. I brought you some coffee" I heard Bickslow coming inside the hotel room I had placed Aria in, waiting for her to recover. She was, again, lying in the bed, while I seated by her side.

"So" Bickslow started. "What is it?"

"What's what?" I asked, annoyed.

"What is it that she has?" When he saw I didn't plan to answer, he kept going. "It's the first girl I have ever met that can keep you on your toes. And yet, when there's something about her you lose your cool"

"What do you want? A girlfriend's chitchat about feelings?"

"Huh. I want to make sure you know what it is"

"What's what?"

"Her. To you. What you feel. I dunno. But what we don't want is you throwing all to waste because of your pride. You're in love, Laxus. Get that straight" Even though he was a pervert and a joker, when it came to feelings Bickslow was the best. I was sure now that Ever and Freed had asked him to talk to me as the spokesman of the group.

"Shut up. I don't know what you are talking about. I don't know her."

"You know, Freed researched everything he could about Dragon Slayers a couple years ago. Wanna know what he found? Some interesting stuff called "mating". You should look it up"

"Fuck off"

"Woah, I struck a chord there, right? Good. You need to think about how you are going to do this, because she is a nice girl, and you need someone like her. You can't spend every night with a different one and not give anyone a chance to get closer."

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!" _Urg, I just sounded like Gramps_.

"Whatever you need, we're here for you. But don't screw it all up because you are afraid or don't know what is going on or shit like that. Be a man. Be the man we know you are."

"I shouldn't have asked for coffee" I sighed. "Ok, whatever. I'll be nice and stuff. But drop it already."

"Huh! As if you could be nice. Be yourself and pray for it to be enough for her to love you!" He said, as he leaved the room. "They say lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice, but remember she can create a thunderstorm"

 _She can't create a thunderstorm, she can be the storm itself._ I corrected him internally. _She would raze everything in her way and then be gone_.

Gone… Just thinking about her gone made me want to cage her and never let go. _So, from stalker to kidnapper. I seriously need to call someone for a night_. Even when I knew now I wouldn't be able to think about anyone else that way, and more importantly- _why_ -, it calmed me to think the way I used to for a change.

 _So, mate. I think I remember that bastard of a father mentioning something like that some day. But of course, it was all about making me stronger. What was it…_

 ** _"Only someone stronger could be your mate, Laxus. She's supposed to make sure you control your inner dragon. And you will share such a bond, you will be like one person. So make sure if you find a mate, you tell her I'm in charge here, or you will both have a harsh time. Understood?"_**

I thought about it. She certainly was stronger than me, when she unleashed all her power, and I could hear what was in her mind, so probably the bond stuff was all about that. _And you are in love with her._ I remembered the jealousy, the need to protect her, the uncomfortable blushing. I remembered that bastard Natsu laughing at me. _He knew she was your mate._

I looked at her. She was still peacefully sleeping, but she wasn't dreaming anymore. She would probably wake up soon. _She doesn't look like a mate. She looks like that angel._ Suddenly, I remembered the light being's face. It was her. _So it was a dream… My angel_.

When did I become such a stupid? _When you fell in love_.

Thunder God or not, I was screwed.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry it took this long! I know I said I didn't want to have scheduled updates, but this took longer than I expected. I was lacking inspiration, but I think now I have a clearer idea about what I want.**

 **This chapter was mainly about Laxus understanding everything. So, from here on, expect a change in his behavior! Will he avoid her, or will he accept his feelings? Oh, the possibilities!**

 **Tell me what you thought! All your reviews encourage me to write faster and better!**


	15. Cursed

**Chapter 15: Cursed**

 **Natsu's P.O.V.**

I was laughing over Happy's performance, when I felt death behind me.

"You" I looked behind me, to see Laxus surrounded by an unhealthy, shadowy aura. His eyes sparkled promising _a lot_ of suffering.

"H-hey, Laxus, I didn't know you were back, how are you, where is Aria?" I said, looking around for someone to save me. Everyone was cowering under my gaze. _Please! We're nakama! SAVE ME!_

"I think there are some things to discuss, aren't there?"

"H-huh, well, you see, I'm a little busy right now, and…"

"COME" He roared.

 _I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead._ I thought, while I followed down the streets of Magnolia.

He stopped in front of a bar for a few seconds before opening the door.

"U-um… Laxus?" I said, while I followed him inside, preparing my fists for a fight.

He sat down without a word in a corner, and I joined him, still fearing the worst.

"Beer" He said, in a bad mood, to the waitress.

"N-nothing for me, thank you!" I said, in a pitch voice. "S-so… You were saying you just arrived from your mission… how was it?"

"We were surrounded and Aria ended up in some sort of magic-induced coma."

"Huh?"

"I don't know, we ran into Wendy earlier and she's still running tests on her with Porlyusica yet"

"O-oh…" _Please, be fine and come here! Don't let him eat me!_

"Which takes me to an interesting story… Want to hear it?" He said, without looking at me. _Does it even matter what I want?!_

"You know, I was wondering why such a small, innocent girl I just met would make me so anxious, me, the Great Laxus Dreyar. Do you have a clue?"

"N-no! Who, me? How could you think that? Hehehe…"

"Um… well, the thing is, Bickslow came in the room and told me about some very interesting stuff…" He stopped speaking when the waitress came with his beer, drank while she was moving away, and started speaking again. "Something about… Um… How was it… Oh! _Mates_ " He said, directing his eyes to mine.

"I-I… Hehehe… That's… um…"

"And you know what else? It's supposed to be a Dragon Slayer stuff. Of course, I was quite surprised, because I didn't have a dragon to teach me this stuff… But then I remembered. _YOU_ did have one, didn't you, Salamander? And _YOU_ were making funny comments the other days, weren't you, Salamander? So, what are the odds you know something I don't?"

"It-was-all-Gajeel's-idea!" I shouted, as fast as my tongue allowed me to.

"Ooh… Then I'll go and talk to him later. But now, I want to know what you have to tell me"

"S-see, we just wanted to have some fun! We weren't doing anything wrong!"

"Ooh, now I see. You just wanted to have some fun" He said, directing his attention back to his drink.

"Yes! Exactly!" _I'm saved…_ I felt like crying.

"… At my expense" His eyes darted back to mine. I gulped. "So, now, start saying everything there is to know about mates, or I'll be the one having some fun"

"She'll make you more human!" My tongue moved on its own, in an attempt of self-preservation.

"How's that?" There finally was a change in his murderous intentions. He seemed interested in listening, at least.

"W-well, you see… Remember Gajeel before meeting Levy? And then Gajeel now. So, it's like… you're more human" He sweat dropped. _Did I do something wrong? Is he going to kill me now?!_ "Like me before Lucy" I nodded, thinking that would explain everything.

"Ooh, so you are mates with Blondie…" An evil smile crossed his face. _What did I do?!_ "And why didn't you like her?"

"I liked her a lot! She's so much fun!"

"I mean the Girl, idiot"

"Ooh, that's Dragon Slayer's stuff"

"Obviously. Explain"

"When you meet your mate, her smell kind of… changes. So, if another Dragon Slayer didn't know her before you did… That smell is like a _don't come closer_ sign for the rest."

"Oh, so that's why Blondie looked like she didn't deserve all the fuss when I first met her"

"Oi!"

"I said _when I first met her_. Relax. I like her now."

"But Lucy's mine! She's my partner!"

"You've got to be kidding me…"

"And, and you have Aria now!" I continued.

"I meant _like_ in a friend's way. Anyways, tell me more."

"More? Well, she's with me, so…"

"ABOUT MATING YOU IDIOT"

"Oh, yes, well, you should hear what's in her head. You'll get better at it, so you don't need to touch her to hear what she thinks. This is to help us protect them and not to lose them. Like, when Lucy's very mad at me, and I don't know why, then I listen to what she thinks and she isn't mad at me anymore"

"What would happen if they decide they don't want to be with us?"

"They can't!" I said, before I could even think about the question.

"Why"

"Then you go mad. You can't stop thinking that she is in danger, and you smell her everywhere, and you can't stop thinking that she is in danger…"

"You already said that"

"But you can't be far for long! It's important. Dragneel said that even if I lose both legs, then I must crawl to her side."

"Shit. That doesn't mean I can't be with other women, or that I have to marry her or anything stupid, right?"

"Why would you want to be with other women? She's your mate" I really couldn't understand why I would want to sleep in another bed than Lucy's. Or go in missions without her. Or steal food from anyone else's fridge. "Huh?"

"I was saying, is there anything else I must know?"

"Um… that Jealous is bad. Dragneel always said that I must avoid Jealous or he can take me away. But, I still haven't met Jealous, so we should be fine! If you ever meet him, don't let him take you, Laxus! Master would be very sad…"

He hit me in the head without warning.

"Oi, why did you do that?!"

"You are just such an idiot, I was wondering if your head would sound empty or something."

* * *

 **Freed's P.O.V.**

I was worried. I had to admit, the feeling had taken me by surprise. Worrying meant caring, and I had met Aria only days ago.

I had already studied the hypothesis of having worried only because I was fearing what the consequences would be to our dear leader if something happened to her. But I knew better. She was very interesting, and it was nice having her in the team. Of course, I didn't care as much for her as I would for Laxus, but I had to admit I already thought of her as a little sister, quite like Evergreen and Bickslow. And it scared me: if I already worried about her almost as much as for my teammates, what would happen if we spent years together? Would I see her like a real sister?

I studied the rest of Team Raijinshuu. They looked as worried as I felt, leaving me to wonder what kind of spell she had casted on us. Maybe it was because it was obvious to us all that our leader loved her in a way we had never seen before?

Porlyusica exited the room, waking me up from my daydreaming.

"She's awoken now. Do you want to see her?"

Another door burst open, revealing a hectic Laxus.

"Yes" He managed to mumble under his breath. Porlyusica raised a brow, but didn't say anything else. She held the door for the blond behemoth to enter, and closed it behind her.

"And there he goes" Evergreen sighed. "I just hope it was enough time for him to solve everything"

"It's Laxus we're talking about, somehow he will make things work. He's not very honest to himself, but he's an intelligent bastard. Have some faith in him" Once again, Bickslow surprised us with such deep thoughts. It never stopped to bemuse me, how he could put on such a "Hey, I'm stupid and I only live for laughs and girls" attitude. But then, that's what tragedies do to people, and the four of us carried our own stories. _Wonder what Aria's past would be._ I tried to investigate her, but I came up with nothing. It had never happened before.

"They're happy" Bickslow pointed out, after a few minutes in silence. "Their souls have started glowing."

I sighed. _Everything will somehow work. All we need is some time to get to know her._ I didn't yet know we were running out of time.

* * *

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

It only took me a few moments to remember everything I'd done when I woke up. Immediately, I scanned the room, noticing I'd never been in that place before. I got out of the bed, waking up a small girl with blue hair who was sleeping in a chair I hadn't noticed.

"Aria?" She mumbled, seeing me standing on my feet. "You should rest a bit more. You aren't still fully healed." I noticed the air around her behaved differently, as if she wasn't even there, so it was no mystery how I could have missed her. I relied more on my abilities than on my eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll be ok."

"Your friends have been waiting outside for a while now. I'll let them in one by one. Is that ok?" A woman with pink hair said.

"Y-yes… Thank you. For everything." For a second, she looked surprised, but she quickly turned around and headed towards the door.

"Um… You are Aria, right? Natsu and Lucy have told me about you."

"O-oh…" _And you are…?_

"My name is Wendy, I'm learning healing magic. A pleasure" She said, with a kind smile.

"Pleasure's mine" I muttered.

"There was something I wanted to talk about, if it's ok with…"

I felt the air in the room change, and even before I turned, I knew the lightning mage was behind me.

"What are you doing standing?" He grunted. Without previous warnings, I felt my feet rise, and I was carried to the bed.

"L-Laxus!" I said, a pink tinge colouring my cheeks.

"Be a good Girl" I frowned, but didn't look at him. I was already giving up on him calling me that. "You know what happened?"

"Yeah. I exceeded my limits"

" _Again_ " He highlighted, before sighing. "You're too careless. What would have I done if you died?" I felt a strange tingling in my stomach. _M_ _aybe I should take it easier_. _It seems I'm not fully healed yet._

"We would have all died if I didn't do something. They caught us unguarded."

"Don't scare me like that again. I'm responsible for all your lives when we're out there, so next time warn me before you go suicidal." _Next time… Am I really allowed to stay?_

"Of course" I looked at him. _Did I say that out loud? Oh my God, this is so embarrassing!_

"Can I lie down for a while?" He asked.

"Eh?" He didn't wait for an answer, and let his body lay in the bed next to me.

"I'm exhausted. You should really consider how your actions affect others. Do you know how bad it is to travel without your magic?" He started complaining, and it felt like we had done this a thousand times. I sighed and relaxed my muscles, which I hadn't realized were in tension. And there, laying, listening to his deep voice, and feeling the rumble from his chest vibrating through the air, I knew for certain I would never forget that moment for as far as I lived.

"U-um… Laxus…" A sweet, nervous voice interrupted him. "I think Aria should rest for a while… Um… If possible, alone… she hasn't recovered fully yet and…"

"Ok, I get it, small one." _Small one…?_

Laxus left the room without another word, and I tried to fall back asleep.

"Um… Aria? I wanted to ask you something… Does-does Laxus know?"

"Know? About what?"

"About… that illness…"

"It's not an illness" I cut her off, my voice more serious than I intended. "It's a curse."

"And wouldn't it be better if he…"

"NO" Once again, I sounded like a monster. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that. It's just… Anyone is supposed to know about it. Promise you won't say anything?"

"But Porlyusica has already gone to tell Master about it." I clenched my jaw.

"I'll tell Porlyusica not to say anything. Promise you won't say it, either?"

"I promise. But I don't think you are taking a good decision. Laxus seemed to assess you, and the rest of the Raijinshuu were very worried…"

"I know, and I'm sorry. But I need to be selfish on this one. Maybe some day you'll understand" I said, smiling at her. Then, I pretended to fall back asleep.

I felt the soft current of air in the room caressing my skin, and I started concentrating on its direction. Soon, my consciousness left my body, and was transported by that soft air. It lead me outside, where I saw Laxus staring at the door with a worried look in his face, and the rest of his team alternating between looking at him, and staring with him at the door. I didn't allow that to distract me, and left the house through a small crack in the door.

Once I was outside, I concentrated even more deeply to find the current that led me in the direction I needed to go. And, swinging in the air, I wandered outside the strange tree house in search for its owner. I knew this means of transport wasn't very efficient, but it was my only choice at the moment.

After a couple of minutes, I found the pink haired elder. She was about to enter the town. I sent a strong gust of wind that made her stop and grab her coat. The next part was even more difficult: using the leaves that hung from a nearby tree to deliver a message. I had already practiced more than a hundred times, but each time the leaves had a different shape, and the air never had the same thickness.

"Sssssss-ooooo-pppp" _I'm missing a consonant there._ "Sssssssssss-ttt-ooooooo-pppp" She continued walking. I felt anger boiling my not-phisical being. _DON'T YOU SEE HOW HARD IT IS FOR ME?!_

"SSSSSSSSS-TTTTTTT-OOOOOOOOOOOOO-PPPP" This time, she heard the message.

"DDDD-OOOOOOOO-NNNNNNN-OOOOOOO-TTTTTT-DOOOOOOOO-IIIIIIII-TTTT"

"Who is it?"

"SSSSSSS-TTTTT-OOOOOOO-PPPPPP" I created a small whirlwind, strong enough to force her to turn her back on the town.

"Stupid humans and their stupid businesses" She muttered, and started walking back home.

Back at her house, I sighed. I hated going to such lengths to hide it, but I couldn't let anyone else find out. I liked Fairy Tail, and I didn't need anyone dwelling on my past.


	16. A date

**Chapter 16: A date**

 **No one's P.O.V.**

"Come in" The voice, though calmed, echoed intimidating in the gloomy room.

The doors creaked open and let pass a tall man, hidden under a coat, who walked hastily towards the throne. Before he even got to speak, the figure sitting in the huge chair spoke again, his voice making the fire illuminating the room tremble.

"Tell me what she did"

"W-well, sir, she managed to take down all the lizardmen, but my source claims that she had to use her full powers to do so."

"So her curse is spreading even further. Good" In his voice, the hint of a smile could be heard, which sent shivers through the other's body. "What about that little pest of a Dragon Slayer?"

"He's still alive, sir. Apparently she protected him."

"Oh, so she's grown fond of him. We could keep using that in our favour. How is your brother doing, is he hungry yet?"

"He lost his appetite getting rid of those Wyverns, sir. He has plenty of energy accumulated, though"

"That won't do. I need someone to get rid of all evidences. If I needed energy, your brother would be the last one I would call"

"I understand, sir. I will talk to him, sir." He bowed and turned to leave.

"Wait." With a single word, the hooded man stopped dead in his tracks, and faced the intimidating shadow once again. "Is she still in that house?"

"It would seem so, sir. Unfortunately, my eyes can't get inside to see what is going on exactly, but I will notify as soon as she leaves."

"Good." He paused for a second "I want to scare the lightning dragon. Nothing too serious, a beating would do. I want him to know what he is getting into, possibly keep him away from her. I don't like his protective attitude over something that belongs to _me_. Send a couple men while she's still locked"

"The dragon is quite strong himself, sir. Our men could find themselves in trouble against him"

"Then send more!" He growled menacing. "Beat him yourself if that's what it takes. I want him to feel useless and defenceless. I WANT HER RETURN TO GO AS PLANNED!" He shouted. The torches were blown out, and a thick darkness covered the room.

"Yes, sir. As you order, sir"

"One more thing. If you see no signs of her starting to regret leaving me in a week, I want her to be compelled to use her powers once again. I want her curse spreading like wildfire until she decides to come back. Am I clear?"

"Crystalline, sir. I will start with the preparations immediately, sir."

"You can now leave" The door creaked open again, and the dim light from the corridor illuminated the man sitting in the throne. His nose was pressed against a golden lock of hair that was held tightly, and his mouth was curved in a cruel smile. "Soon" he whispered, before the room was plunged back into darkness.

* * *

"Hey, Porlyusica, I'm taking her to my apartment." Laxus stated. It was her second day sleeping in the old woman's house, and the dragon slayer hadn't been allowed to come inside and talk to her since he was thrown out of the room to help her "recover". As if he was some heavy burden she needed to get rid of.

"Not yet" Was her only response.

"I'm taking her" He insisted.

"I said not yet" Answered Porlyusica, facing him. "She's not fully healed, and you humans are too reckless"

"I can protect her well enough" He said, with a growl.

"She's staying here for a couple days"

"Stubborn old woman…"

"She won't leave until she can. Do you think I enjoy having humans reeking my house day in, day out? Tsk."

"Whatever, I'm gonna go see her" He said, walking in the room where she was sleeping, and closing the door behind him before Porlyusica could reply.

He made his way as silently as possible to the bed, where she was sleeping under layers and layers of blankets. He sat on the edge, and smiled when she turned in her sleep to curl up against his back. When he lifted the sheets to look at her face, she wrinkled her nose in annoyance, to which the blond Dragon Slayer couldn't help but laugh. He wrapped her again in the fabric, careful not to cover her face this time, and she let a happy sigh escape her partly opened lips.

"You are very special, you knew that?" He whispered, looking at her in a softer than he would ever admit way. "You make me feel so confused"

"Laxus…" She mumbled in her sleep, settling even closer to him. "It's all my fault…" Her sorrowful tone cut his chest in what seemed like a thousand ice-cold blades.

"It could never be your fault" He answered, frowning.

"I didn't want… to sign that contract" She said. _Contract? What is she talking about? "_ I don't want to be his puppet! Laxus…" She stopped her sleep-talk for a second, her breath evening out. "I don't want it to hurt anymore… My eyes…" She muttered. "My feelings… are taken away, Laxus… Make it stop!"

"What can I stop?" He said, unable to hold back.

"The contract, Laxus… Make it stop…" _Maybe…_

"Aria, what did you sign?" He tested, curious.

"The contract… I didn't want to sign the contract… But now I can't stop it!" _She can talk while she's sleeping!_

"How can I stop it?" She stood silent. "Do you know how can I make the contract stop, Aria?"

"Yes…" She shifted in her sleep.

"Why don't you tell me?"

"Can't… My eyes, Laxus…"

"What happens with your eyes? I can't see them"

"He's taking them away! I want my anger back… Don't let him take them away…"

"Who is taking them away?"

She stayed silent for a moment before answering.

"The contract, Laxus… It's all… the contract…"

"What is he taking away, Aria?"

"My feelings… He will take my fear next… I don't want to…"

Laxus sighed. She probably didn't even know what she was saying. She was asleep, after all. He touched her cheek, but only got to feel her fear. _This isn't getting me anywhere… Bunch of nonsense._

"His eyes… are yellow… But I don't want to!" She shouted.

"Sshh… It's ok. I'm here with you." She stopped fidgeting and relaxed. "I'll get you out of here, and then we can sit in the couch, and talk about anything you want… And I will prepare my vanilla ice cream!"

"I didn't like vanilla" She muttered.

"Well, then I can make it chocolate! You can stay here with us, and I'll make sure you are ok." She smiled. _Jeez… If only it was this easy when she's awoken._

I sat on the chair next to her and watched her in her sleep. She didn't talk anymore, but she held that soft smile for as long as she slept.

"Hey, Laxus!" The door opened with a bang, waking the air mage and startling the lightning dragon slayer. "Porlyusica said you were here. We've meaning to…"

 **Laxus' P.O.V.**

"Bickslow… Get… The fuck… OUT" I shouted. A not very manly squeak followed by the slam of the door was all it took for us to be alone again. I will be useless to get her to sleep again. "How are you feeling?"

"Better… I dreamt of a chocolate world" She said, smiling. I looked right into her eyes, and dread filled me. The small yellow lines in her eyes had grown bigger, eating the beautiful brown in her irises. _"His eyes… are yellow… But I don't want to!"_

"Girl… Are you taking your medication?"

"Huh? I don't need any" She answered, confused. "Why?"

"Nothing, I just… Your eyes seem a little brighter, that's all."

"But that's a good thing!" She said jokingly.

"Yeah, it's just…. You know you talk in your sleep?"

"Huh? Anyone ever told me. What did I say?"

"Nothing, just nonsense about yellow eyes eating your feelings" I mumbled, annoyed for caring so much about such a stupid detail. I must have forgotten how her eyes looked like, that's all.

"Yeah, hehe" She laughed lightly. I twitched my nose when I caught the strong smell. _Fear? What is going on? That was just a dream… Right?_ "Anyways, Laxus, can I finally get out of here?"

"Not just yet, I'm still trying to convince Porly. She's a hard nut to crack."

"Yeah" She laughed again, this time more relaxed. "I'm starting to get bored in here. I want to go out already. Maybe you could sneak in tonight and we can see the storm together!"

"Storm?"

"Yeah, there's going to be this huge storm coming tonight, and I bet there will be plenty of lightning, too!"

"What, the wind told you that?" I joked.

"Of course!" I sweat dropped. Of course the wind would talk to her out of all the people in the planet. _She's your mate, after all._

"Well, then I better go get everything ready for watching the storm from the best place possible!" I blushed when I kissed her in the forehead, and got even redder when I caught her thought. **_So it is like a date_** _._ "I-I'll pick you up tonight, better be ready!" _Way to stutter, Laxus…_ My dragon answered my own thoughts immediately. _Who cares, you've got a date!_

* * *

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

I would never admit it, but I couldn't wait until it was dark. When Laxus left, I tried to go back to sleep, but it was useless. I was too excited to get some rest. So, I spent the rest of the day bored. No one visited me- probably because the old woman had forbidden the guild to come to her house- so I spent the time inventing word plays and playing with the air.

When the darkness came, more or less five minutes after Porlyusica herself went to sleep, I heard the window creek open, and a huge frame blocked the only view I had to the outside world. A thump was heard, followed by a groan, and I tried to stifle my laugh. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah" He said, his whisper deeper than his actual voice. "You? Ready for the night?"

"Yeah" I answered with a smile in my lips. Luckily it was too dark in the small room.

"Great. I need you to stand up and hold this for me" I heard him say. Carefully, I tried to stand up, but my balance failed me a bit. "Woah, careful there" He got to my side in a second and took me by the arm to help me stand up. "Ok, now take this" He handed me the basket, and I picked it up carefully, touching his fingers in the process. He jumped a little and took two steps backwards. "Now… Um…" He got closer again, and took off his coat to wrap it around me. _It's so warm… And smells like him! Ok, hold it, Aria. You do NOT want to be a stalker_.

"Eek!" The squeak left my lips as I felt his arm behind my knees, trying to carry my still dizzy body like a princess. I felt my cheeks burn. "Um… Laxus?"

"Special treatment tonight for the ill woman who saved my life" I fell in love with the way his voice rumbled in his chest, now that I felt it so close to me. "Hold on tight" I felt my body turn to lightning, and a few seconds later, I found myself in the top of Magnolia's cathedral, still held by Laxus' strong arms.

"It's… beautiful!" I exclaimed, looking down at the city.

"I know" his breath caressed my cheek, at the same time as a thunder rumbled in the distance. I shivered in his arms.

"U-um… could you… let me down?" I asked, embarrassed.

"Heh. Can't stand being too close to the Great Thunder God?" He said, smug.

"N-no, that's not it…"

"Are you ok to stand on your feet, though?" His voice showed true concern, and it melted my heart away.

"Careful, Mr. Thunder. You'll make me fall in love with you."

"Good" _Eeek! Aria, respond! Don't crumble now, you can do this!_

"So what's in the basket?" _Way to go, me…_

"Chocolate"

"H-huh?!"

"You said you dreamt of a chocolate world, so I brought you some. Figured Porly's food wasn't the best, so… Oh, and there are also apples."

"Apples? Not your first choice to go with chocolate" I mused.

"They smell like you"

I was at a loss of words. Did he really think everything that much? It was actually kind of…sweet. "W-what do I smell like?"

He pressed his nose to my hair and inspired carefully. "Apples"

I laughed, "I guessed so much already"

Then, I felt his nose pressed to my cheek. "Ozone"

"Ozone? As in after-a-storm-smell ozone?" I asked, curious.

"Yeah" He chuckled. "After-a-storm-smell ozone. And finally…" _Is he going to… Eek! Do something!_ I panicked internally while his lips made their way to mine, but hadn't still decided what to do when he finally placed them on top of mine, and moved slowly, carefully.

I had never been kissed to merely show love and affection before Laxus took me to the top of Magnolia cathedral and decided to prove that there was more to a kiss than passion, so I really didn't know what to do. I stood there, frozen, for a total of three seconds, though to me it felt like an eternity, before my brain decided to disconnect and allow my body to take control. My arms then snaked around his neck, bringing him closer to me, while I started moving my lips, shyly, against his.

The kiss wasn't perfect. We were pretty much uncoordinated and awkward. But it brought such warmth to my chest, and showed me how much he cared for me, that I couldn't find it in myself to stop it, not that there was much of my brain left to do so. It finally was the same reason why we came all the way up there that we parted.

 _Rumble._

"Jasmine. You definitely taste like jasmine." He reached for something inside the basket, and took out a single flower of jasmine, which he put in my ear.

"That's… so very sweet, Laxus, but it doesn't feel like you" I answered. He looked at me surprised and then burst out laughing.

"That's the same thing I told the guys, but they kept saying romanticism was important for a girl"

"Thanks for trying, though" I said, with a smile of my own.

"Yeah. You still smell delicious. And, if you don't mind my saying, you taste even better" He said, with his trade smirk.

"Well, if you don't mind my saying, you may need to tell _the guys_ a few things about how to smile like that" He seemed shocked by my answer.

" I swear, you're going to be the death of me. The last thing I was expecting from you was to actually hit on me."

"I didn't expect you to take a jasmine flower out of the basket either, so I guess we're even." We both laughed until our stomachs hurt, and then we sat in a comfortable silence while we watched the rain starting to fall on Magnolia.

"You know, the first memory I can recall is me getting all soaked in the middle of a storm." I started speaking without even realizing.

"Huh? What where you doing in the middle of a storm?"

"Well, it's my first memory, so I don't remember how I got there on the first place. I do remember the rain, though. It was so heavy, my hair was constantly dripping water in my face. It was really uncomfortable" I laughed, remembering how hard I tried to find something under the water. "It actually created a curtain so heavy, that I couldn't see anything around me." I stopped, reliving the whole memory in my head. Laxus must have felt my distress, because he hugged me a little tighter. "The air actually cut through my skin, probably with some help from the rain drops, and the ground was slippery and mushy, so I kept tripping. I can't remember how many steps did I take before I realized I hadn't stumbled across any town, any tree, nothing. It was only the rain, the wind, and me." I stopped again, trying to get my thoughts in order so I could tell the story properly.

"I couldn't have endured such a thing. I rely on my senses more than any human does, so not being able to see something, smell something, or feel anything but cold…" My hand leant on his arm, and started drawing lazy circles on his skin.

"I didn't remember anything, so it's not as if I was missing the sun or something. I can't remember for how long I walked in the rain, until I found a wall."

"A wall?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought it was at first. It was grey and huge and dull. But, upon a closer look, I discovered it was actually moving. Before I tried to touch it, my feet kicked a rock accidentally, which was sent in the direction of the grey wall, only to disintegrate right before my eyes. So, instead of touching it and losing a finger, I decided to see where it ended."

"Did you figure out what it was?"

"Yeah, much later. But I got help, so maybe it doesn't count."

"So? What was it?"

"It was… the eye wall of a hurricane."

"That's impossible. It can't rain on the eye of a hurricane."

"Yeah, and the eye wall shouldn't look like a wall, nor be in the same place all the time. But it was."

"Why?"

"Well… My theory is, _I_ was the one who created the hurricane, and as such, it didn't respect all the rules of Mother Nature."

"But why would you create a hurricane? And why did you forget it?"

"I don't know. I lost my memories that day, and it's been that way ever since. Today, it makes two years since I woke up in the middle of a storm, in the middle of a hurricane."

"Would you like to have your memories back?"

"In a sense, yes. I want to know the reasons behind me getting this strong, and I want to know if there had ever been someone who cared about me. I used to imagine that person, you know? Sometimes it was a mother, sometimes a boyfriend… I don't know, it depended on the day, really. And I would picture how she looked, and that she would be waiting for me in a safe place, some place I used to call home, and would think about me everyday."

"But?"

"But… Maybe if I lost my memories it was for a reason. Maybe something horrible did happen, that made my powers spiral out of control until I passed out and someone found me. Maybe remembering it would make me go crazy. I like my life in Fairy Tail, even though I've been here for a week. I like being with Ever, and Freed, and Bickslow. I like going to missions with you, and ending up with one of us fainted… or even both. I don't want to leave that."

"You don't have to. You will always have our doors opened. I will always allow you in my house, and the Raijinshuu will always bear you in their hearts. They were really worried for you yesterday, you know." He told me, softly.

"Maybe you want to go out there and eat some lightning" I suggested, after another long silence.

"Nah. I'm right where I want to be."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Ok, I'll stop here. Sorry for taking so long! (again). I had until the date part written for weeks, but I couldn't make the last part work! I am lacking romantic imagination so... Well, just tell me what you think of the outcome._**

 ** _A lot happened! There are some hints here and there... so, what do you think will happen from now on?_**

 ** _And some news! I've woken up today with a new story in mind, and I really really liked it, so if you like Freed, you may want to read it... Tell me if you are interested in reading, and I may start another story in FF!_**


	17. Abducted

**Chapter 17: Abducted**

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

"We've been caught" I whispered.

"Yeah, I figured as much" Laxus replied.

After watching the storm, which energised both my bulky _nakama_ and me, Laxus brought me back to Porlyusica's as silently as possible. He was making his way through the window when all the lights were turned on, revealing a very angry Porlyusica.

"I swear, this woman's instincts are sharper than dragons'…"

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, TAKING MY PATIENT OUT IN THE RAIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND SHE COULD HAVE GOTTEN WORSE? Geez" She sighed, attempting to calm herself. "That's why I hate humans so much… Want to take care of her yourself? Good, then take her out of here. She smells human enough. But don't come back crying when she catches a pneumonia!"

"I can really take her home?" Laxus asked, incredulity in his voice.

"I said TAKE HER OUT OF HERE NOW OR YOU'LL REGRET IT!"

Laxus smirked and, wasting no time, teleported us back to his apartment.

"That old lady… she's terrible" I stated, my face blank.

"He, I guess you meant scary" Laxus commented, making his way to the kitchen. "Are you still hungry?"

"Nah, thanks, apples were good enough for me" I sat in the sofa and looked curiously at Laxus while he cooked some more meat. "You Dragon Slayers eat a lot" I commented.

"Sure. We eat enough to feed a dragon, after all! Have you ever seen the size of those monsters?"

I stayed quiet after that, unsure of what to say, and passed the time watching him as he made himself dinner. He looked relaxed, almost happy, and I couldn't help to compare that Laxus to the one he was when we were at the guild. _I wonder why he never acts like this in public… He sure is nicer. "What, want to mend his broken heart and marry him?"_ A voice popped in my mind. _Why did I think something like that? Stop, Aria! Though… Marrying him… NO! It's way too soon. What is going on with me? I shouldn't even be thinking about him that way. But… He's making me feel this…_

 **Laxus' P.O.V.**

 ** _But… He's making me feel this… warmth… and it's kind of nice_** **.**

I almost dropped the frying pan in surprise when I heard her thoughts. _I shouldn't be hearing her thoughts, I'm all across the room… Or… maybe with the kiss…?_ I felt unable to stop the grin that spread through my mouth. _This is getting interesting…_ _Wait, NO! You are not a stalker, Laxus! Jeez, this mating stuff sure is complicated…_

"I'm almost finished here, want to pick a movie for tonight?"

"Actually" Her voice sounded so close, that this time I actually dropped the damn stuff. "I was thinking I should go to sleep. I feel better after tonight, but I still don't want to push my luck."

"O-ok, see you tomorrow then?"

"See you tomorrow" She whispered behind my ear, kissing my shoulder lightly and disappearing down the hallway. "Thank you for tonight!"

"I should be the one thanking you for tonight…" I muttered, while I carried my plate to the sofa. As I left it in the table, a familiar beep called my attention. My hand travelled to my pocket in a reflex movement, catching the communication lacrima. "Who?" I grunted.

"Yo, Laxus! It's Bicks here, we wanted to know how is she in the sack"

I barely suppressed the roar, while I looked at the screen as threateningly as I could manage. "You idiot, what if she heard you?"

The helmet was suddenly pushed away by a blur of pink and black.

"It's Natsu and Gajeel, are you going to tell us everything or not?"

"Yeah, how'd it go?"

"None of your business, brats, but not bad"

"Ooh, he's smiling!" narrated the pink haired idiot to the rest of the room. A set of cheers were heard, among something that sounded like "great-grandchildren" and a feminine voice crying, "babies". I shuddered.

Again, the faces in front of the lacryma were pushed away to reveal a crying Freed.

"I knew you could do it, Laxus-sama! We are all very proud of you!" He then disappeared, gently giving someone else a chance to talk.

"So, are ya going to tell us all the juicy details or what?"

"G-gildarts…? When did you…?"

"Don't change the topic! Ok, forget everything else, just tell us the bra size!"

"Pervert old man…"

A beer barrel knocked him out of the picture, and Gray took his chance to step in. "I figure you kissed at least." He waited for my answer, finding it in my smug grin. "Don't go too fast, Laxus. You can hear her thoughts, so use that before acting. Don't scare her away." After that, everyone in the guild started shouting their own advices. Not even my Dragon Slayer hearing could make anything out, though, so I just cut off the connexion and sighed. "Bakas"

Without much thought, and ignoring the guild's calls, I resumed my dinner with a smile, too busy remembering what had happened to pay attention to the light heartbeat that could be heard from the hallway.

* * *

 _"Do you remember me?" A low voice echoed in my mind, a familiar face appearing._

 _"Y-yes. You are… *******" A feminine voice answered._

 _"I was starting to think you had forgotten about me. When are you coming back?"_

 _"Never beating around the bush, are you?"_

 _"I've grown eager. It's been more than a month since you awoke. I want you to come back to my side, as my goddess."_

 _"That wasn't the deal. You know it better than anyone."_

 _"I've been waiting for more than 300 years. You have to understand, my beautiful ********, that not even I can wait that long without losing my temper a bit."_

 _"I still have Fear, Anger, Happiness and Sadness. You know I can't return to your side as I am now."_

 _"Ah… So you still need a little incentive… Don't worry, my ********, I will make sure you come soon enough"_

 _"What are you going to do?"_

 _"It looks like you've taken a liking on that Dragon Slayer of yours… I might have ordered a few of my men to give him a lesson."_

 _"What? *******, you can't do that!" The feminine voice sounded hopeless._

 _"You have no right to order me as you are! You are no better than those mages you are living amongst. You still aren't my beautiful ********, but a mere mortal. You are still Aria, and as such, I'll make him suffer until you decide to come back to me."_

* * *

I woke up startled in complete darkness, and for the first time in my life, with a fuzzy feeling all over my head. It took me a while to calm my ragged breath and some more to convince myself I was lying in bed. Still, my sense of direction was completely upside down… Or it was me in the ceiling?

I'd never felt as lost in my life. Deprived of my dragon senses- the new moon covered the night in darkness, and not a single sound could be heard; I could smell nothing but myself in my room, and I couldn't even be sure I wasn't standing on my own feet- I started to question my own existence.

I don't know for how long did I stay numb, but I was starting to go crazy. _Am I dead?_ Was the best idea that came to my mind to explain such nothingness. I saw nothing, felt nothing, saw nothing. I tried to recall my friend's faces, Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen… Aria. I was alone. _I'd do anything to feel again_ , was my only prayer.

And suddenly, the smell of jasmines filled my nostrils. I could almost taste the apples, and the ozone made me remember a storm in the forest. _She's here. Everything else is gone, but she's here._ And, with that thought, my dreams allowed reality to finally take place.

* * *

 **Aria's P.O.V.**

"Laxus! Please, wake up!" I couldn't control anymore my shaking voice. He wouldn't wake up!

"Uurg… What's… going on? I feel awful…" A trembling laugh and a sigh of relief escaped my lips, joining in a weird sound.

"Of course you do. Wake up already!"

"You know… I've had the worst of nightmares…" He said, his hand massaging his temples.

"You can tell me later. First, we need to find a way out of here."

"Out of…?" He didn't finish the sentence, as he finally opened his eyes and realized our current situation.

We were in what appeared to be the back of a van, with every surface covered in mirrors. And, of course, we were moving.

"Urg… I don't feel that well…"

"I'm sorry, Laxus… It looks as if my magic is gone."

"What do… you mean gone? Where are we…? What the hell… is going on, Aria?"

"I don't know… Last thing I remember was me going to your room because I wasn't feeling well, and… I kind of didn't make it"

"What do… you mean?"

"I blacked out before reaching your room… And when I woke up we were both here, and I can't use my magic"

"I can… try…"

"Wait, don't! We're surrounded by mirrors, and they would reflect it. Death by lightning isn't in my list of priorities right now…"

"Ok, then what do we do?"

"That… I don't know" I looked down in defeat. I couldn't think of anything. _If I wasn't too weak to summon all my energy again… But I don't think my body could take any more._

"Don't worry…. Come here" asked Laxus, still trying to deal with his motion sickness. I sat down next to him, but he pulled me closer until I was sitting in his lap. "Stay here for a while… We'll try… when we stop"

And there we were, surrounded by images of ourselves, unable to escape. Unaware of what awaited us.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry it's such a short chapter, and after taking so long to post it! But people have this crazy idea that christmas holidays are perfect to send too much work, so I've been working like crazy for the whole month. I wanted to post something so you have an idea of what's coming next. I promise, it won't be long until we finally discover what is going on! I am planning on finishing it by February, as I will finish my exams by end of January and I expect to have some time there.**

 **Again, thank you so much for everyone following, and for the reviews and support! And I wish you a Happy Christmas, and a New Year full of nice surprises and happiness!**


	18. Confessions

**_So, remember we left Laxus and Aria in the back of a van, surrounded by mirrors, unable to escape. Aria is sitting in Laxus' lap, and he takes some sort of calmness in her touch. Enough to have a proper conversation._**

 **Chapter 18: Confessions**

 **No One's P.O.V.**

"Remember when we met?" His voice resounded in the mirrored space.

"Yeah, it actually wasn't that far ago" She pointed out.

"Heh. I guess it wasn't. And still… so many things happened, it feels like ages. I feel changed"

"Me too. You were the family I never had" The lightning mage felt heat raise to his cheeks at his unexpected comment. "I-I mean Fairy Tail. Don't get me wrong"

"Heh. You wouldn't have said that a few weeks ago"

"Oh, you think so? What would have I said then, Mister Know-It-All?"

"Dunno. Probably some saucy comment. You kept doing those crazy things to me, I thought I would die before my 30's" He said, remembering her insinuations.

"Heh. You would have died a happy man, then"

"There she is. The unreachable, mysterious, _teasing_ beauty" He laughed. They both basked in the silence that followed for a few moments.

"You are right. So many things happened…" There was a pause, in which Aria seemed to be trying to sort something out. Finally, after a couple of minutes, she broke out of it with a sight. "I was actually planning to seduce you. You said you were the master's grandson, so I figured you would have your influence in the guild. But… the guild was different than I expected. I never had a family"

"Woah. That was… unexpected. My pride has taken a blow there" He half-joked.

"I was used to a different environment. To me, everything was about _kill or be killed_ at the time. I wanted a place to belong, somewhere anyone could take me away from. Somewhere where I weren't week" A brief silence settled again between the two, as they assimilated what had been said. "You kept calling me Girl, though, and I just felt so small, so weak, so… unfitting. That changed everything. You broke me!" She admitted, laughing lightly. He secretly loved that smile, so carefree, so free, so…

"Trusting" He murmured.

"Eh?" She tried to face him, but he gripped her waist for her not to move.

"You said that you trusted me. Just like that. No qualms, no doubts. That changed everything" He whispered, as if he was too afraid of anyone else hearing his confession. "You still do" He added, with bewilderment.

"Well, You have always been there for me"

"I wasn't strong enough to protect you. Twice" He remarked, guiltily.

"That's what I'm strong for, right? To protect those I care for"

"So you do care for me" He pointed, with a proud smirk

"I think that was clear since that little trip to the bell tower" her face turned a cute tone of pink, while he remembered the previous night with a smirk. "But seriously, I feel like I should thank you, for being there for me always."

"Thank you too, for bringing peace to my remorseful me. Heh. This is depressing. I felt like we were telling our goodby-" He laughed.

"What if it was?" Now, it was the girl who whispered, too scared to make her statement true if she said it out loud. "Time to say goodbye"

"No way" He said, with utter confidence. "If the Great Thunder God is not capable of rescuing you himself, Fairy Tail will come running in our help. You are family now" He let her know, shortly before falling asleep.

* * *

He awoke to the sound of his heart, pounding in his ears, and the rush of his own blood traveling through his body. A deafening sound in the eerie silence.

When he opened his eyes, he couldn't see. But he could feel. Oh, could he feel. The sharp ache in his wrists, holding him to the wall, and the grief in his shoulders, which probably were fractured or dislocated, made him wish for a second he could turn all his keen senses down. But, if he did that, he wouldn't know where he was.

In the total darkness, the Lightning Dragon Slayer let out a groan that rumbled in the wall he was bind to. Just for a second, he let go of the grief that clutched his heart, the confusion that dizzied his mind, and the anxiety of not hearing, nor seeing anything. For a second, he let go of the responsibilities he put to himself all those years ago, and actually _complaint_. But it was just a second.

Immediately, the blond behemoth started fighting his bindings, while he illuminated the room with his lightning. And roared. _Loud_.

"Aria!" The shackles wouldn't move, but the wall behind him started to crack under his violent jolts. "Aria!" The lightning covering his sweaty body illuminated the cell he was actually caged in. "AR…!" A silhouette appeared behind of the bars. He narrowed his eyes threateningly.

"Now, now. We wouldn't want to wake her up, would we?" A manly voice said, with a sweet tone. It reminded Laxus of poison, one that tried to coax you into drinking it yourself.

"Where is she?" He grunted, the pain in his shoulders becoming almost unbearable for him from his previous effords.

"She's just fine, don't you worry about her. I'd never do anything to hurt her." With a flick of the shadow's hand, air compressed in front of Laxus, creating a window. Inside it, he could see a room, with a huge bed in the middle, and his dear mate curled inside the linen. Only after seeing her peaceful face did Laxus relax.

"Then let her go" He suggested through the pain.

"Oh, yeah, I thought of that too. It was the idea, really. Well, no, the idea was taking just you. But those idiots stumbled upon her and decided to knock her unconscious and bring her too." His anger soaked his voice as he remembered the events. "I've taken care of them, of course. No one hurts what is mine."

" _Yours_?" Laxus laughed. The man was delusional. He looked at her again through the window, and realized her hair had been brushed, and her clothes were gone. At least, from what little he could see of his shoulders. "What did you do to her?"

"Healed her, cleaned her, put her to sleep. Relax, she's just fine."

"YOU DID WHAT?" His anger flamed inside him and gave him the strength he needed for one last push, and he was out of the shackles. He took the bars that separated him from the man between his hands and let the lightning create a powerful aura around him. "YOU DON'T GET TO TOUCH HER!"

"Woah, relax there. Maybe I should have put you to sleep longer. Okay, okay, I get it. You do really think she is made for you. I mean, who wouldn't right?" Laxus let out an animalistic grunt. "She's just everything you could ever hope for. I get it, I really do. But little dragon, you can't get in our way. It's not because I'd kill you, which I would" His bright yellow eyes shone dangerously for a second, sending shivers down the dragon's spine. "But simply because she is not yours to take. Destiny agrees with me, she was made for me. _I_ made her."

"You are insane"

"No. I am a God. I can do whatever I want, it's in the rules." He turned to leave after the huge revelation, but as an afterthought he turned back and exclaimed "I know! I'll explain it to you. I'll _proof_ she is mine. And then I'll open your cell and you will walk out of our lives."

"And what if I rip your throat and _you_ disappear from our lives?"

The man ignored him and clicked his fingers while he turned around, and light was thrown into the room. What Laxus had illuminated with his lightning, his cage, was only a small space in the huge room. There were no windows, and no decoration in it, except for a bright red carpet that led from the only door to an armchair. The man took his seat, barely fifteen feet away from the cage, and that is when Laxus recognized his face.

" _YOU!_ YOU ARE THE MAN FROM HER DREAM!"

"Oh, she dreams of me?" He put a hand under his chain, dreamingly. "I dream of her too. She's just so…"

"SHE HATES YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"

"Jeez, aren't you an impatient one? I was about to tell you! Now _shut_ ". At his command, Laxus felt as if all the air was knocked out of his lungs, and his lips were sealed.

"Okay, I will start by my name. We haven't been introduced yet, but I don't need to know your name. You are just some insignificant insect. Right. Hello, my name is Ehécatl, and I'm a God with the power of controlling air. And other stuff." Ehécatl bowed slightly and grinned like mad. "Now, the beautiful semi-Goddess laying in my bed is Mayáhuel, and she was human at first. Oh! Before that, you need to know that I can feel everything that is in contact with air, so I kind of know it all. Of course, that is a secret to humans, but I trust you will keep this one for me." He winked. "After all, I've worked hard to have a reputation here in my temple as a priest, and if they know I'm the God they worship, I'd never have a moment alone."

The Dragon Slayer recovered his ability to speak, so engrossed was Ehécatl in his story.

"Huh. And you expect me to believe this, how, exactly? You are just a madman."

"JUST GIVE ME A MOMENT!" He shouted. "Jeez, you will see how what I say makes sense. As I was saying…"

"You haven't made sense since I woke up"

"SHUT UP!" Laxus was interrupted by a strong magical pressure, that somehow reminded me of Aria's. "I swear, if you speak again, I'll rip your vocal cords. _Thank you_. … Where was I again? Oh! I know. So, my conscience was drifting in a current of air one day. I love to do that, it gives you such a sense of freedom… and suddenly, I heard a cry. I normally don't bother, your lives are so insignificant and short and _boring_ … But, somehow, I felt curious. There was so much despair, such sorrow in that voice… and yet it sang harmoniously in my ears, so delicate." He paused for a second, lost in the memory. "She was… crying. When I first came into her life, she had lost it everything. Her family, her friends, her house… She was in the woods when a group of bandits ambushed her." With surprise, Laxus saw Ehécatl's eyes shine, and the smell of tears reached his nose. "I killed them all and drank their blood." This triggered something in him, and he looked at Laxus surprised. "I didn't tell you! Gods don't eat. But sometimes, we take people's _essences_. Through their blood. It's… hard to explain, really. Well, I doubt an insignificant _thing_ like you cares" he said with despise. "I saved her. And she couldn't even see me. She was so scared… and she run off. I followed her for days, curious, and it only made me want to know more, more… until I decided to take a human form and talk to her. That's how we met. I'm not going to say everything, of course, this is just… personal." His face turned a light pink, and Laxus wanted to kill the guy. "But, she discovered who I was. She showed me the world, the beauties in life… and I decided to have her by my side, forever. Human lives are too short for us immortals."

Laxus didn't expect him to take the time explaining, but he did: "To make a human immortal, you have to… make a contract. And she accepted. She was after the power, there is no denying it. I know she didn't do it only for me. But I get it, I mean, she carried such heavy feelings, and that guilt… She couldn't protect who she loved. But she gave her mortality for me. So, I started the process, which I won't share with you" Ehécatl looked at Laxus with mistrust "and, after hundreds of years sleeping, she finally woke up not that long ago. Of course, at first she couldn't control her powers, and she kind of created a hurricane, erasing a village, maybe two… but she doesn't need to know about that, does she?" He gave a teasing wink, as if he actually _wanted_ Laxus to tell Aria about it. "And there she was. Waiting all those years for her was hard, I can't deny, and I felt how the world lost the spark that she once ignited before my eyes. But, when she opened her eyes, she remembered nothing." His voice suddenly became dark, lack of expression, his eyes hard. "She couldn't remember her life, that made her compassionate. She couldn't remember her pain, that made her see the beauty in life. She couldn't remember me, our talks, our moments together, anything. I had spent hundreds of life preparing for her return, for our life together, to find her gone. So, I did it. I locked her in the temple. I taught her suffering, I taught her the love that we felt, but SHE - WAS - GONE!" Ehécatl stood up in anger, and the armchair exploded behind him. "I just want her by my side. I want the best for her. And she escaped me, as if I was some sort of… monster" He said the last word in a whisper, unable to believe himself. "Still, I was always by her side. I saw her struggle to live, I saw the changes that immortality had taken in her. You wouldn't believe it. She was… strong, powerful. More than she ever expected. She still had beauty in her, and I hadn't been able to see it until she was free. When that Wyvern attacked her, and her hunger took the best of her…" His eyes shone with excitement as a shiver ran through his body. Laxus, listening from his cage, was somewhat glad his stomach was empty, such was his revulsion. "And then I had an idea. There was this girl that Aria used to know when she was little. They probably don't remember each other, they were so little when they met. But, maybe, just maybe, being with her would cure her of her lack of memory. Or at least bring me back the girl I used to know."

"A… girl?" Laxus forgot for a second the threat under his vocal cords.

"Yes. Don't talk. I won't repeat it. This… Oh, what was her name? Marshmallow? No, wait, that's the pink stuff. Marvel? No, that's not it either. Ma… MAVIS! Whatever, they didn't even meet. But, _you_ , you decided to take her with you. I saw her getting more and more excited every day. I got to know her again. My love is still there, I just couldn't see it at the beginning. But she shines as bright as ever. I wish I wasn't so confused when she woke up. I wish I had seen it before, so she wouldn't be afraid of me now." His face, serious and sad, suddenly turned to a full grin again. "But! That is all in the past. And we must not dwell on that, do we? She thought she loved you, so I brought you here, and those idiots brought her too, so now that we are all together like a happy family, let's get her back! Or, that's my plan anyways. For that, I need your help. I want you to get out of her life." Laxus raised a brow "Please?"

"No way in hell I'll ever get away from her."

"Hum… I thought that's how you make people do things. What did I do wrong?"

"I-I…" Laxus stuttered, his face red. "I love her"

"Huh. Beautiful. Then cry a couple of weeks, then forget her. Move on. That's what you mortals do anyways."

"I _won't_ " Laxus gritted his teeth.

The cage door opened with a _clack_ , and Laxus got out immediately.

"Come on. Go. You know she doesn't love you anyways."

The blonde Fairy paused. That was really bothering him, because she never _said_ she actually wanted to be with him.

"That's not for you to say" Her soft voice interrupted the discussion between the two men.

 ** _A/N, we are finally reaching the end of this story, there are only one or two chapters left, and I want to thank you all for reading this far. Your comments made my day! I wouldn't have finished it without your support._**

 ** _Most of the main mysteries have already been solved, and everything is ready for the grand finale. I am planning on writing a sequel, though. You will see why in the end hehe._**

 ** _Please, leave a comment if you want a chapter explaining from Ehécatl or Aria's point of view what happened all those years ago. Otherwise, I'll just keep on with the "present" story._**

 ** _BTW, the character that is introduced in this chapter, Ehécatl, exists in mexican mythology, so if you want to google for his_** **real _story…_**


	19. Time

**_"_** ** _That's not for you to say" Her soft voice interrupted the discussion between the two men._**

 **Chapter 19: Time**

 **No One's P.O.V.**

Aria stood in the middle of the room. How she had gotten there without anyone noticing, Laxus had no idea. But she looked… different, he realized. It wasn't the loose dress that she wore, and accompanied her every move floating around, giving her a godly appearance. It wasn't her hair, way longer than he reminded, or the absence of any jewellery or shoes.

No, it was something else.

It was in the way she stood, as if she was the owner and master of the temple. It was in the way she looked at Ehécatl, her whole attention focused on him, and a strange light shining in her eyes. It was in the way she ignored Laxus as if he was no more than a mere insect, though if she did it consciously or not, he couldn't figure. It was a newfound confidence, a newfound objective that shone in her yellow eyes and promised completion, whatever the cost.

* * *

"My dear! You are awake!" The God's voice cut through the silence, thundering in the closed space "What a pleasant surprise, seeing you again right here with me, like the old times! How are you _feeling_? Woops, wrong word choice."

"I can still feel, thank you." She answered, calmly.

"Ooh, come on, how many of them have you got left, Maya? How many feelings can you still feel? You aren't any more human than I am." The God teased.

"I still have enough of them to know that I don't want to be by your side. Not anymore."

"What about your memories? Did you get those back?" asked Ehécatl.

"I remembered everything when I woke up." She answered.

"Then you are ready to join me! Come, come. This is a magnificent day, we must celebrate!" He exclaimed, materializing a table full of food out of thin air.

"No celebrations will be needed, Feathered Serpent. I will not join you in your madness."

"Madness? You call this madness? This is love, my dear, and by the Gods I will have you besides me."

 _This guy was born for drama_ , Laxus thought, disgusted.

"You call this love, but the Ehécatl I knew would not take away my feelings. The Ehécatl I know would have never held me captive, training until exhaustion and making me face despair and pain. You call yourself Ehécatl, yet you are nothing but a shadow of the great man I loved once. I will not join you." Repeated the girl, a tint of sadness in her voice.

"Tell me, Maya… How many emotions have you got left?" He said, teasingly.

"Happiness… and sadness" She answered.

"Oh! Then taste, fear, anger… are no more, right? And you still consider yourself human? You can't fear death, therefore you can't enjoy your life like every moment was the last one. You can't taste, making you unable to enjoy nourishment. And you can't feel anger, so how will you react when something is not right? And you still want to live amongst humans?"  
"I want them back"

"You know I can't give them back, honey, it's greater than me." Ehécatl's voice softened

"Then I just have to become a God" She stated.

"How will you do that? You know there are no job vacancie-" His rebuttal was cut short when, in a millisecond, Aria teleported herself to Ehécatl's side, piercing his flesh and ripping his heart off. "Oh, sugar, I didn't know you had it in you" The God smiled, weak from the attack.

"I know killing you won't make me a God. Your essence is too scattered. But it will make me stronger to face your other remnants." Laxus watched with morbid fascination how thin particles flew from Ehécatl's body, flying around Aria, and being absorbed by her skin. Paying no attention to the dying self proclaimed God, the girl turned to the Dragon Slayer. "I owe you an apology. You made me appreciate life again, and yet I'm leaving you."

"L-leaving me?" Laxus rasped.

"Here, let me take this out" Deadly blades of wind cut through the cuffs holding Laxus on the cell, freeing him. "I'm going on a long journey. I need to absorb the Feathered Serpent's essence to regain my emotions. Otherwise, with my memories back, I will soon lose my happiness, shortly followed by sadness, and then I will be no more who you knew me by." She explained.

"Let me go with you" He knew he sounded desperate, but he still couldn't believe he was losing her.

"Where I'm going, I will need to fight Gods, I will need to be disembodied. I will fight the elements and all that is forbidden to humans. You can't come". Her yellow eyes shone brighter. "I must do it alone."

Aria raised her arms, her dress floating around her, and started singing an all too familiar song.

 **I'm the dancer in the clouds; I'm the caress of the wind.**

 **I command with all my might; for the contract we both signed,**

 **to access now to all your flair, as we both linked our minds.**

 **I have complied with my part, so that now you can't rescind.**

 **You and me, we are both one. Come to me as we are twinned.**

Laxus watched wide-eyed how her Girl, her mate, turned into the angel he once thought he saw. She smiled at him with kindness and gratitude, and mouthed a _goodbye_.

"ANEM **-"** the previously forgotten God, that had been watching the exchange with interest, interrupted her spell the same way she did to him. Her heart was ripped out one second before Ehécatl's body was finally fully absorbed into Aria's and he finally left the mortal world with a smile. Powerless, Laxus could do nothing but watch how Aria, Mayáhuel, collapsed on his arms, still radiant and powerful from her spell. "… o… i" she managed to mutter, before her body disappeared in the same thin particles as the God.

* * *

He stayed there, staring at the same spot, for what felt like ages. He felt numb in the dead silence of the hall, as if time had stopped and nothing was relevant. He wasn't waiting for her to reappear, nor was he wishing upon a star to see her smile again. He just… waited.

Ever since he woke up he had lived a nightmare, facing the God of the Winds, the mythical Feathered Serpent, and learning about Aria, no, Mayáhuel, to lose her for good. He has seen how she was killed right in front of him, the Thunder Dragon Slayer. He could have laughed. _What was all his power, all his fame, all his strength for, if he hadn't been able to save her, not even once?_ And now she was _gone_. There was nothing left for him to hold on to, not even a corpse to cry. He still couldn't believe how fast everything went down.

Laxus fell to his knees, and shouted a pained howl that combined both the pain his inner dragon felt for the loss of his mate and the pain the man felt for losing the one he trusted, his family. His voice cut through the silence of the hall, making him feel a little more connected to reality. But he didn't want this. He wanted to stay in that calmed hall forever, letting his time slip by, or even stop forever, without having to face the loss of his Girl.

But time waits for no one, and after what could be an eternity, or mere seconds, everything came back rushing for the Dragon Slayer. It was time to _feel_.

* * *

"Hey, guys, he's here!" Natsu's voice cut through his inner torment, and, as if he restarted time, everything moved again. "I found Laxus!"

"Shut up, ash for brains! They can hear you through the mental link!" said Gray.

"Whatever, Popsicle. Hey Laxus! Whatcha doing, kneeling there? Where's the bad guy? I'm all fired up!"

"He's… gone…" The Thunder God answered, still immobile.

"Oh, man… I wanted to kick some ass!"

"Laxus, what happened to Aria?" Gray asked, in a more serious mood than his partner.

"She's… she's… gone…" He howled again, the pain too much to bear.

"Oh, man…" Muttered Elfman, approaching the group.

"Where is Aria, Laxus?" Repeated Gray

"Gray… she's dead" Muttered Natsu, all his previous energy gone.

"If she's dead, her corpse must still be somewhere!" Exclaimed Gray, still not believing they were too late.

"But that doesn't make sense" Everyone looked at Gajeel, who was approaching. "If she was dead, wouldn't he be dead, too? I mean, with all the mate bond stuff."

"That makes sense" Agreed Natsu.

"T-then she's… alive?" Asked Laxus, turning his head in confusion.

"Well, you wouldn't be alive if she wasn't… I think" Natsu thought. "She's not in here, though. We've looked all over the place."

"Come on, let's take you home" Freed said, helping his leader up.

"But she… disappeared…" muttered the blond behemoth.

"We will take you to Fairy Tail, and we will start investigating from there. Don't worry, Laxus, she's nakama. We won't stop until we find her." Offered Bickslow.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, guys! Second to last chapter finished! We will be having an epilogue, but I first want to read about what you think so far!**

 **Was everything too rushed? Was it too OOC? Was it madness and I need to go see a psychiatrist? I want you to comment!**

 **Last but never least, I want to thank everyone who has read so far, and let you guys know that you are the reason I'm about to finish my first story ever! I never would have done this without you encouraging me. So, and sorry for being sappy, I have to say THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart.**


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